Lift Emergency Phones in Australia: A Decade of Network Disruptions — and What Building Managers Must Do Now

Building Technology

Lift Emergency Phones in Australia

A Decade of Network Disruptions — and What Building Managers Must Do Now

There is a phone in every Australian lift that almost no one thinks about — until the moment someone needs it.

Tucked into a panel, marked with a simple icon, this emergency phone is a legal requirement under AS 1735, the Australian Standard governing lift installations. It must be capable of placing an outgoing call at all times — 24/7, no exceptions.

Building owners, owners corporations, and strata committees carry a genuine legal duty of care. If someone is trapped in a lift and the emergency phone fails, the consequences — human, legal, and reputational — can be severe.

What makes this especially challenging is not complacency. It is that in roughly ten years, the underlying network infrastructure has been disrupted three separate times.

Phase 1: The PSTN Era — When It Just Worked

For decades, lift emergency phones ran on Australia’s copper landline network (PSTN).

  • Dedicated analogue line into the building MDF
  • Always on
  • Minimal maintenance
  • Reliable and inexpensive

For strata buildings, this was set-and-forget infrastructure.

That changed with the arrival of the NBN.

Phase 2: The NBN Rollout and Copper Switch-Off (2014–2025)

As the NBN rolled out:

  • Copper lines were progressively decommissioned
  • Services were forced onto new network types
  • After 18 months, copper was permanently cut

Impact by Building Type

Greenfield (new builds):

  • FTTP connections
  • UNI-V voice port available
  • Smooth transition

Brownfield (existing buildings):

  • FTTN / FTTB / HFC
  • No voice port available
  • Lift phone lines simply disappeared

For many buildings, this was the first time anyone realised there was a problem.

Phase 3: The 3G Migration — A Temporary Fix

To replace lost copper services, buildings adopted 3G-based lift phones:

  • SIM-based connectivity
  • No fixed line required
  • Cost-effective and easy to deploy

From 2017 to 2022, this became the dominant solution.

Then came the next disruption.

Phase 4: The 3G Switch-Off (2024)

Australian mobile carriers shut down 3G networks:

  • Vodafone — January 2024
  • Optus — August 2024
  • Telstra — 31 August 2024

From 1 September 2024, 3G ceased to exist in Australia.

Immediate Consequences

  • Many lift phones silently stopped working
  • No visible faults or warnings
  • Emergency calls could not connect

This created a national compliance and safety issue.

A key problem was awareness — many building managers did not even know their system relied on 3G.

Phase 5: The NBN UNI-V Shutdown (2025–2030)

Another disruption is already underway.

NBN Co is decommissioning the UNI-V voice port on FTTP connections — the same port used as a copper replacement.

What This Means

  • Voice services must move to VoIP over UNI-D
  • Existing “new build” solutions will become obsolete
  • Intercoms, fire panels, and lift phones are affected

This is effectively the same problem repeating itself.

Three Disruptions in Ten Years

The pattern is clear:

  • 2014–2025 — PSTN shutdown
  • 2017–2024 — Migration to 3G
  • 2024 — 3G shutdown
  • 2025–2030 — UNI-V shutdown

There is no longer a set-and-forget solution.

What Is the Right Solution Now?

Future-resilient options include:

1. 4G / LTE SIM-Based Phones

  • Uses current mobile networks
  • Longer lifecycle than 3G
  • Ideally supports 5G for longevity

2. IP / VoIP-Based Phones

  • Runs over internet (data connection)
  • No dependency on legacy voice infrastructure

3. Dual-Path Solutions (Recommended)

  • IP primary + mobile backup
  • Highest reliability
  • Suitable for critical safety systems

Equally Important: Monitoring

Technology alone is not enough.

You need:

  • Active monitoring
  • Regular testing
  • Proactive notifications of network changes

What Building Owners and Strata Managers Should Do Now

1. Audit Your Lift Phone

Identify:

  • Copper
  • 3G
  • 4G
  • UNI-V
  • VoIP

2. Replace 3G Immediately

3G systems are already non-compliant.

3. Plan for UNI-V Migration

Do not wait — strata approvals and upgrades take time.

4. Ensure Active Monitoring

Your provider should:

  • Test regularly
  • Notify you of risks
  • Maintain compliance

5. Document Everything

Keep records of:

  • Provider
  • Technology
  • Last test date
  • Next review

The Bottom Line

Lift emergency phones are often overlooked because they work quietly — until they don’t.

The PSTN shutdown, 3G shutdown, and upcoming UNI-V shutdown highlight a critical reality:

Even basic safety systems depend on technology with a lifespan.

Building owners and strata committees must ensure these systems are:

  • Operational
  • Monitored
  • Future-ready

That responsibility does not change when networks do.

How Pickle Can Help

Pickle specialises in helping strata buildings:

  • Audit existing lift phone systems
  • Identify compliance risks
  • Deploy 4G and IP-based solutions
  • Implement monitoring and maintenance plans

If you’re unsure what your lift phone is running on, now is the time to find out.

Learn More

https://thinkpickle.com.au/products/emergency-lift-phone/