National Triple Zero phone blocking rules have been in force since 28th October 2024. The regulations mean telcos are required to block devices that are identified as being unable to call Triple Zero.
However, there have been documented false positives and inconsistencies from telco to telco. ABC compared blocked devices between Telstra and Optus’ checking tools in 2025. Over 221,000 devices were compared, and ABC found 16,822 that had different statuses between the two telcos.
There are also open questions about the scope of devices it applies to like security gates, vehicle trackers, and phone-like devices. Here’s how the rules work and where they can go wrong.
Why do devices get blocked?
Initially, telco blocks were triggered by the 3G shutdown. Many phones at the time relied on 3G for emergency calls, and when the network was shut down, these devices were left unable to call emergency services.
The policy is intended to mitigate the risk that people may rely on phones that cannot get through to emergency services. Some 4G and 5G phones could make ordinary calls just fine, but fall back to 3G for Triple Zero calls and can’t connect without that service.
The phone might lack VoLTE, it may support it but be configured to route emergency calls over 3G instead, or it may be unable to camp on to another carrier’s network to reach Triple Zero when its own network is unavailable.
What happens when a device is blocked?
Once a telco identifies an affected phone, it must notify the customer, then stop providing voice and data service to it within 28 to 35 days from the date the notification was sent.
Two further notifications are sent before the service is deactivated. Once it’s blocked, voice and data will no longer work on the network that blocked the device.
Telcos don’t target individual handsets, but apply a block to whole models of devices. Every unit of a blocked model is cut off at once, whether or not your specific phone actually works.
Because the block is tied to the device’s model, moving your existing SIM into another compatible phone will allow your service to work.
Telco blocking can be inconsistent
Australian telcos say devices can behave differently on different networks, meaning just because a device works on one carrier, it may not work on another carrier.
Because each carrier operates its own classification process, they don’t always block the same devices. Additionally, a wrong call on a single handset model takes all owners out of it, regardless of whether an individual can prove their phone works.
Edge cases: IoT devices and visitors to Australia
Travelers visiting Australia for less than 90 consecutive days get an exemption. A telco must notify the traveler that their phone isn’t configured for Triple Zero, but may continue to provide service to the phone.
The ruling around non-phone devices like security gates with telephony, vehicle trackers, SIM-connected cameras, and phone-like devices like dumb phones and whitelist calling devices is murky at best.
The regulations exclude equipment that is not ordinarily considered a phone, but there are plenty of devices that may raise eyebrows.
What Triple Zero phone blocking means for you
Grey market and imported phones are not guaranteed to work in Australia, and it’s more likely than not that it will eventually get blocked, especially devices that were never officially sold here.
If you believe your phone can call Triple Zero and it’s been blocked anyway, it may be worth asking for a review.
Two reviews are currently looking at whether the rules need to change. An ACMA consultation on device blocking rules, and a separate government review into Triple Zero itself are both underway.
For now, the existing Triple Zero phone blocking rules stand.
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