As per instructions I SMSed 3 to 3498 and got this reply:
Hi there, our records show that as at 30/06/2024, youāre using this device: FAIRPHONE 5 5G with service number +614******* .
Weāve determined that this device will not be impacted when the Optus 3G network is switched off from September 2024. You wonāt need to do anything. However, we strongly recommend that you regularly update the software on your device for optimal network performance.
Thanks Iain for providing this information. This is very sad for FP3 owners such as myself and @Charlotte231
Can anyone else confirm that the Optus network is friendlier to FP5s? Iād rather switch provider than have to send my phone back.
I chatted with Belong (Telstra) support this morning and they said it was a manufacturer problem and that they couldnāt do anything.
It is sounding like something that Fairphone could fix through firmware/software, as there are a number of guides for other manufacturersā phones explaining how to enable VoLTE and force IMS registration, etc.
I wouldnāt expect Fairphone to officially support Australian networks, but itād be great if they could provide an āofficial unofficialā workaround like those people have developed for Xiaomi, Pixel, OnePlus, etc. I imagine itās something fairly trivial for any of their engineers to fix
I donāt have further confirmation to add beyond Optus telling us FP5 is ok, and having registered with Optus VoLTE on FP5 (not my SIM, so I havenāt extensively tested).
Wrt FP5 support for Telstra, Iām not too optimistic about getting Fairphone to invest anything additional in this - theyāre trying to avoid directing the precious resources of a small company into markets with no ROI since they have no ability to sell here. I think an āofficial unofficialā process will fall to this community to develop.
Since Iām happy with my poor Vodafone coverage, I donāt have the time or incentive to actually dive into this, and Iām dangerously half-informed on this sort of thing. But Iāve looked at it for friends enough to know that my starting points would be:
The thing that Iād be trying to gently suggest to Fairphone is that they might find it useful to register for and use the GSMAās Network Settings Exchange. I was surprised/disappointed not to find them on this list of participants https://imeidb.gsma.com/nsx/nsxparticipants#
It is free to device manufacturers, and seems like exactly the sort of thing they need to facilitate market expansion at low cost as is their current priority.
Thatās really helpful, Iain, thanks. Iām going to do a bit more reading on that process and see how feasible it looks for a relative illiterate like me 
Iāve also contacted an Optus-based provider to see if they can confirm compatibility for the FP5 before I switch.
Hi there,
I recently bought and have been really enjoying a Fairphone 5. I live in Australia, and our local providers are about to shut-down the 3G network. The FP5 has all of the required frequency bands and VoLTE features, but it looks like my phone wonāt work after 31 August because of something in the FP5ās software (?).
I really would prefer to keep my new FP5. Is there any chance that this is something Fairphone can fix with a software or firmware update, or by contacting the service provider (Telstra)?
All of the relevant VoLTE features seem to be enabled, but the phone is saying its āIMS registrationā status is ānot registeredā.
maybe look here for some info 
Thanks, k3dAR! That thread is helpful.
Iām hoping that Fairphone are able to issue an unofficial workaround for this problem for their Australian users.
I merged the topics.
Does anyone know if Fairphone are aware of this situation, or of a reliable way to get a response from support? Iāve had a noncommittal answer from an Optus-based provider, but Iām following up about whether they can tell me how/if the Optus and Telstra networks differ.
Itād also be great to have any other users post whether their phones are working on Optusāthough I guess theyāre not likely to be looking at troubleshooting threads if theyāre not having any problems 
As FP is not selling their devices in Australia, the only answer you will get is: we dont support those country its up to the provider to fix thisā¦
This is the best youāre going to get, Iām afraid. Tbh Iām surprised t_pearce even got the 3498 response theyāve quoted above, and not the one I get from Vodafone (which basically says āweāre not sureā)
When a device is sold in Australia, it goes through compliance testing which empirically demonstrates that it works with the networks and with emergency calling systems (and other things like electrical/radiation safety). Thatās what the carriers are relying on to tell you what works, not theoretical spec sheets. Because FP isnāt sold in Australia, it hasnāt gone through that testing. So no-one can tell you anything with confidence. FP are very clear that they donāt sell to Australia, donāt promise it works in Australia, and donāt support Australian connection issues.
The reason FP5 doesnāt work on Telstra is because VoLTE requires details of how to register and communicate with the networks data-based calling systems (named IMS) to be installed in phone firmware, and FP havenāt done that because theyāre not selling the phone in Australia. So why waste time keeping settings up to date for a market youāre not serving. Why it works on Optus/Vodafone is a quirk of either those networks using ādefault settingsā that the phone falls back on, or those settings being loaded on the phone somehow ā¦ potentially because Optus/Vodafone parent companies operate in Europe and have provided all their global network settings as one package because thatās simpler/cheaper for them.
Thatās what my draft process above is about - getting the Telstra settings installed on your device. But even once it works, no one will tell you it works, because it hasnāt been through testing.
If youāre not aware of whirlpool.net.au, itās the main online forum in Australia for telecommunications and related topics. It has several thousand posts on the 3g closure, device compatibility, etc and some really knowledgeable users ā¦ You might find some of the content there a helpful resource if you werenāt aware of it already.
FP5 registered on IMS and VoLTE available on an Optus-based MVNO.
Iām not sure what further reassurance the community can offer beyond the above and t_pearceās advice? (Plus the knowledge that Vodafone users are using their FP5ās successfully on a network that has already shut down 3G)
No, thatās great, Iain, I really appreciate it 
. Thanks again for all your advice!
Iāve now switched to an Optus-based provider and Iām not getting the network closure warning message before calls anymore. Fingers crossed that everythingās all good after the 28 October closure!
Thought Iād share this here in case anyoneās subscribed: Petition Ā· Stop Telco 4G/5G Device Blocking & VoLTE Restrictions - Australia's 3G Shutdown - Australia Ā· Change.org
An IT expert called James Parker is sounding the alarm about plans for Australian telcos to disable network access (including for emergency calls) for devices bought outside Australia/not from authorised sellersāeven those with the requisite hardware and software and that are currently functional.
Besides advocating directly to government, and making submissions to relevant parliamentary committees, heās also made extensive posts on Medium on the subject of the 3G closure: James Parker ā Medium
Itād be great if any Australia-based Fairphone users affected could sign the above petition, and consider writing to their MPs, Senators, and the Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland: https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland/contact
After months long drama with Aldimobile I switched to felix (TPG - Vodafone network). VoLTE working on FP3+ with e/OS 2.4.1 (Android T).
I will be interested to see what the 3498 checker says about your FP3+ once it registers your phone model.
Based on the information I got from FP support, they will tell you it will be impacted by the closure, because it wonāt be able to make emergency 000 calls.
EDIT: not sure whether e/OS changes the phoneās ability to do emergency 000 over VoLTE though.
If it canāt do emergency calls, you can expect your service to be cancelled by Felix over coming months, because the Communications Minister has directed the telcos to cut off phones that are impacted by emergency calling issues.
Thanks, @IainM, I am aware of that issue. Reckon I have to wait that one out if I donāt want to throw my FP3 away. Here is the 3498 response. So far so good.
Pretty sure it wouldnāt. Wanted to let people know just in case.
