SWAP-OUT DEAL FOR 3G-4G: NEW DEADLINES. ACT NOW!
Wattwatchers is advising all of our partners and customers to immediately swap-out any of our energy IoT devices that are hardware-limited to the 3G carrier signal to communicate with the cloud.
To help identify cellular-communicating devices that are hardware-limited to 3G, look for 13-character serial numbers that start with a single D then numbers (e.g. ‘D1234…’). If it starts with DD, (e.g. ‘DD4567….’) then it’s a 4G capable device and won’t be impacted by the 3G shutdown.
To further support this changeover process, we’re extending our special 3G-4G swap-out discounted offer to December 15 this year (email sales@wattwatchers.com.au), ahead of our traditional Christmas-New Year factory closure (see below).
We are also giving 3-months’ notice that Wattwatchers will no longer be providing Support services for 3G-only devices beyond January 31, 2024.
Vodafone will be the first of Australia’s three carriers to totally shut down its 3G network, from December 15 this year—less than seven weeks away. Telstra will follow in June 2024, and then Optus in September 2024.
Thus any 3G-limited devices that rely on the Vodafone network will cease to communicate with the cloud in mid-December, and cannot be supported by Wattwatchers past that date.
Despite the shutdown deadlines for Telstra and Optus extending into 2024, Wattwatchers is already seeing significant degradation in 3G services in certain geographic areas, which affect the support we can offer. We anticipate further degradation as 3G is phased out permanently.
This has prompted the announcement of the 3-month deadline before we discontinue support services for 3G-limited devices entirely, ahead of the published final shutdown timelines for Telstra and Optus.
Throughout most of this year we have been working with partners and customers to prepare for the now-imminent end of the 3G network in Australia, including making available the special 3G-4G swap-over offer.
Thousands of 3G-limited devices have already been swapped over under this special offer, and Wattwatchers is continuing it for orders up to and including Friday December 15 2023, after which standard pricing for replacement 4G units will apply.
We strongly recommend ordering by 15 December (email sales@wattwatchers.com.au), and earlier if possible, and ensuring installation is completed by January 31 2024, at the latest.
(IF YOU NEED DELIVERY BEFORE THE HOLIDAY BREAK: Please note that COB Wednesday, December 13, is the final day for orders to be placed for guaranteed deliveries to be made in 2023, before our factory closes down over Christmas-New Year from Wednesday, December 20. It will re-open for orders and deliveries from Monday, January 15, 2024.)
