NZ shut down the 3G network on March 31st 2026. Since then I’ve been receiving irritating messages that I need to buy a new phone - rang OneNZ (formerly Vodafone) to sort out as they “don’t recognize” the Brax3, though I’m happily receiving calls, text, and data. The specialist team insisted I wouldn’t get through to 111 as the Brax3 doesn’t have VoLTE. Rather than wasting more time I looked up an old page on their site and used the Huawei instructions to check and VoLTE is enabled. (https://one.nz/faq/frequently-asked-questions-voice-over-lte-4g). Despite this, their current info (including the number to txt to check phone) echoed what the help people said - Brax3 is not recognised and there is “a high risk” that it won’t get through to emergency services.
Would someone knowledgable please confirm that if VoLTE is showing as enabled that the 111 calls will connect as per OneNZ’s standard?
Is there anything which can be done to get NZ to recognise the Brax3? (I spent half an hour trying to get this information and they just said “no you can’t”. I’m willing to do something from here but have no idea how to start!)
The “recognition” is based on the IMEI numbers. If VoLTE works you shouldn’t have a problem.
What you could do to be typical is to flash a different IMEI to appear as a legit device, you could flash your old device’s IMEI.
The messages you’re receiving are probably because the network detects that the device doesn’t support 4G and not due to IMEI. The IMEI flashing is an a bit involved process.
I’m in NZ too. My Brax3 connects to Skinny (Spark) without any problems or error messages. Vodafone was always a crap company. Changing their name doesn’t seem to have changed their customer service.
Hi ms40, just been re-reading compatabilty page and Spark is compatible. I have major issues with supporting Spark/Telecom but will keep in mind. The really odd thing was OneNZ yesterday suggesting I ring Spark re whether they would have a 111 issue (I assumed they they believed Spark would!) NB I have no connection - voice, text, data - issues with OneNZ, just their advice re 111 maybe not working.
Step 1, make sure VoLTE actually works. There’s convoluted ways to do this, but here’s a simple one. Make sure it’s the only sim active. Disconnect from any wifi, make sure you have a data connection via the sim itself. Make a call (to another test phone, a partner’s phone…just make sure it’s via the phone app and not something like Whatsapp, Signal, etc.).
While on the phone, try to browse the internet. If it works, you are using VoLTE. In which case, I would try finding a way to ignore the messages. Personally I just go into the conversation thread (i.e. read their text), click the three dots at the top right, then select Conversation details. In the next screen turn on “Enable custom notifications”, then tap “Customize notifications”. Set the notification sound to “Silent”, then you can turn off “Show notifications” if you don’t want to even see it pop up. Now, they’ll still show up in the messages list, first time or three you may be confused why there’s a new message when you didn’t get a notification, but at least you won’t be constantly checking the phone thinking it’s urgent, and it’s just “that message” again.
As for the content of the notification, basically it’s not in their “this definitely works” list, so I guess they’re covering their butts just in case it does not, in fact, work. Also note that if there ever was an issue calling emergency services, even if it was the carrier’s fault, they’ll simply point to all the messages they sent you saying they couldn’t guarantee that service on an unsupported device.
Oh, and before you call emergency services to test it out, do check on the proper procedures, don’t just blindly dial and say it was a test. Try ringing the non-emergency line, asking what the procedure is.
Yep. And their coverage/network stability is arguably the worst of the 3 main providers - bad black spots in several parts of the busy area of Christchurch I work in (but perfect 2° & Spark connecrivuty).
Anyway…
@reg I had the same issue with 2° when they turned off 3G. All I did was either (can’t remember which):
Went to a link included in the txt and ‘acknowledged’ the issue/receipt of warning/whatever for my number (and it then stopped sending txt), or
Just ignored them? And at least with 2° they eventully stopped after a couple of weeks or so (of about 2 txt/week).
Pretty sure it was the first one I think, but can’t recall what I did.
I also have a work Spark number on my phone too, as second SIM, and that was fine obviously, no warnings.
Anyway I’m not concerned, I’m confident phone will work from what I read; but having said that I’m not a technical expert on cellular and haven’t tested it so not offered as advice.
(…and I guess I have the luxury of the secondary Spark number as my back up which you may not.)
Kia ora, waiting for ph to arrive got the email so yay. Great to see the community sussing it out I’ve had an annoying msg for months about my current ph going kaput then a few days after 31 March deadline Apple sends an update that provides for use on facetime… after all the pressure to upgrade…
All the reports I’ve had from people I know is that it works fine for spark and 2degrees, and should for One.
As mentioned, One doesn’t have a clue and doesn’t care about their customers.
I’ve been helping migrate customers away from One as they proceed to bamboozle their customers from what appears to be an India based call centre, as part of the shift from HFC (the old Saturn/Telstraclear fibre/copper-coax) service to fibre with a new AI assisted “smart” router along with a new contract to lock the customers in.
I resell 2degrees backed services for mobile, broadband and VoIP for landllne, and have been reconfiguring the existing Vodafone routers which work just fine with any provider.
If you have any support needs, feel free to PM me.
I got the same texts on my Motorala MotoX. Are you using ONE NZ as your carrier and it is working on the brax3?! I thought only Spark was compatible. I have not received my brax3 yet, that is why I’m asking.
I’ve had an annoying msg for months about my current ph going kaput then a few days after 31 March deadline Apple sends an update that provides for use on facetime… after all the pressure to upgrade…