The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is trying to source end-of-life Samsung devices that are being blocked from networks due to triple zero calling issues.
The communications regulator’s appetite for the handsets is revealed in a BuyICT listing that seeks to purchase “some” of the dated devices that Telstra, through its own research, identified as being unable to make emergency calls on TPG’s 4G network.
Users of 12 Samsung Galaxy handsets are being told by their telcos that they must replace the devices, as they are to be blocked from service.
All three of Australia’s carriers must block handsets that can’t place triple zero calls correctly in line with tighter rules ACMA released in late 2024 in response to a ministerial direction.
iTnews was unable to ascertain a clear picture of ACMA’s intent for the market approach or even if it’s likely to be able to find a reliable source for the older devices.
The BuyICT listing states that the purpose of buying the devices is for “consumer testing”, meaning ACMA may be seeking independent assurance that telcos’ device testing results are accurate.
But an ACMA spokesperson told iTnews it had “no plans” to do anything beyond seeing if the devices could be bought.
The spokesperson later said the reference to “consumer testing” in its market approach was an error. They did not clarify the purpose of seeking the devices.
A cursory search of eBay for the device models showed scant availability, with few available in untested or non-working condition being sold for “parts”.
ACMA’s spokesperson declined to comment further.
Handsets with issues
Some 72 Samsung handsets have issues placing emergency triple zero calls. It’s understood that the problem can be resolved with 60 of the Samsung handsets by upgrading their software.
However, the handsets’ owners have only been given around a month to undertake the process from the day that their mobile carrier detects that they’re still in use on their services.
The remaining 12 Samsung handsets cannot be upgraded and must be blocked.
Late last December Telstra added a device from another handset manufacturer that also has triple zero calling problems – Oppo A53 devices running early versions of the manufacturer’s operating software. These devices also need software upgrades to avoid being blocked.
As iTnews has previously reported, the firmware in the faulty Samsung devices has been configured to lock to them to Vodafone’s shuttered 3G network. The configuration stops the handsets from reliably switching between mobile networks in emergencies should one or more networks become unavailable.
In circumstances where neither Telstra nor Optus infrastructure is available to carry the calls, the handsets cannot correctly camp on to TPG Telecom’s Vodafone-branded 4G mobile service.
The call re-routing process itself has been found to be clunky, however, leaving callers in emergency situations waiting up to a minute while the process is executed in silence.