Australia's 3G shutdown has already left thousands of lift emergency phones non-functional. If your building's lift phone relied on a 3G connection, it may no longer be able to make a call.
But upgrading the hardware is only half the fix. A lift emergency phone that runs on 4G still needs a strong enough mobile signal to connect. And lift shafts, surrounded by reinforced concrete and steel, are among the hardest places in any building for a mobile signal to reach.
This article explains what lift emergency phones are, what Australian standards require, how network changes have affected compliance, and why in-building mobile coverage is a critical part of the solution.
A lift emergency phone is a two-way communication device installed inside a lift car. Its purpose is to allow a trapped or distressed passenger to contact help without needing to use a personal mobile phone.
When a passenger presses the emergency call button inside the lift, the system automatically dials a pre-programmed number, typically connecting to a 24/7 monitoring centre, building management, or a designated emergency contact. The call is hands-free, so the passenger doesn't need to hold anything or navigate a menu.
Lift emergency phones are different from personal mobile phones in several important ways:
The system is a safety-critical piece of building infrastructure.
When a lift stops between floors, the passenger is confined in a sealed space with no way to open the doors or leave. For most people, this is stressful. For someone with a medical condition, claustrophobia, or a disability, it can be a serious safety event.
The lift emergency phone is the only reliable way for that person to communicate with someone who can coordinate a rescue. Without a working emergency phone:
In Australia, lift emergency communication is governed by AS 1735, the Australian Standard for lifts, escalators, and moving walks. Specifically, AS 1735.19 sets out the requirements for emergency communication systems in lifts.
The standard requires:
Responsibility for lift emergency phone compliance typically sits with the building owner or the body corporate (in strata buildings). In practice, this means:
During lift audits and inspections, assessors typically check whether the emergency phone initiates a call when the button is pressed, whether the call connects to a live person, whether the system has a working battery backup, and whether the communication is two-way and audible. A system that looks physically present but cannot actually connect a call will not pass an inspection.
Australia's 3G mobile networks were shut down in 2024. Telstra completed its shutdown on 28 October 2024, and Optus and TPG Telecom/Vodafone followed a similar timeline. Any device that relied on 3G to make voice calls, including lift emergency phone gateways, stopped working.
Many buildings had upgraded their lift phones from old copper (PSTN) lines to wireless 3G gateways over the past decade, particularly as the NBN rollout made copper connections unreliable or unavailable. Those 3G gateways are now non-functional.
Replacing a 3G gateway with a 4G gateway seems like the obvious fix, but it is not always sufficient. The reason is VoLTE (Voice over LTE).
On 3G networks, voice calls were a native function. On 4G, voice calls require VoLTE support. A 4G device that does not support VoLTE cannot make voice calls over the 4G network, including calls to 000.
Following the 3G shutdown, ACMA issued regulations requiring carriers to block devices that cannot make emergency calls over 4G VoLTE. This means a lift phone gateway that connects to 4G for data but does not support VoLTE for voice will be blocked from the network entirely.
Building owners upgrading their lift emergency phone systems need to confirm that the replacement gateway:
The shift away from copper PSTN lines is also a factor. Many older lift emergency phones were hard-wired to a Telstra copper line. As the NBN replaces copper infrastructure, these connections are being decommissioned. NBN connections use IP-based technology, which is not directly compatible with older lift phone systems and does not have the same built-in power resilience as copper.
Buildings that still rely on a copper PSTN line for their lift phone should plan for an upgrade before the line is disconnected.
Here is where most upgrade conversations stop too early. A building owner replaces the old 3G gateway with a new 4G/VoLTE-capable device. The hardware is compliant, the SIM is active, the gateway is installed, but it doesn't connect (or it connects intermittently).
The reason is the same one that affects every cellular device inside a building: the mobile signal can't reach the equipment.
Lift shafts are among the worst environments for mobile signals in any building. They are typically constructed from reinforced concrete and steel, forming a near-complete shield around the lift car and the associated plant equipment. The gateway is usually installed in the lift motor room or at the top of the shaft, areas that are heavily shielded from external signals.
Even in buildings where mobile coverage is adequate on occupied floors, the lift shaft and surrounding service areas may have little or no usable signal. A 4G gateway with VoLTE support is useless if the signal at its location is too weak to sustain a voice call.
This is the gap that hardware upgrades alone cannot close. The signal has to be there for the system to work.
In-building coverage (IBC) systems deliver reliable mobile signals into the parts of a building where the external network cannot reach, including lift shafts, motor rooms, basements, and service corridors.
Asignal booster captures an existing outdoor mobile signal, amplifies it, and redistributes it indoors through internal antennas. For buildings where the lift phone gateway is the primary coverage concern, a targeted signal booster installation can deliver a reliable 4G signal to the motor room or shaft area.
For larger buildings with multiple lifts, underground levels, or widespread coverage issues, aDistributed Antenna System (DAS) provides engineered coverage across the entire premises. A DAS ensures that not only the lift emergency phone but every cellular device and system in the building has a reliable connection.
Both solutions support Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone networks and use ACMA-approved CEL-FI hardware.
If your building has a lift, the following steps will help ensure your emergency phone system is both compliant and functional:
Determine whether your lift emergency phone is connected via copper (PSTN), 3G wireless gateway, 4G gateway, or NBN. If it uses 3G, it is almost certainly no longer working if it uses copper, plan for an upgrade before the line is decommissioned.
If your system uses a 4G gateway, confirm that it supports VoLTE and is approved by the carrier for voice calls on Australian networks. A 4G data connection alone is not sufficient for a compliant lift emergency phone.
Press the emergency button and verify that the call connects to a live person, that two-way voice communication is clear, and that the system works during a simulated power outage (on battery backup). Do this regularly, not just after installation.
If the call fails, drops, or has poor audio quality, the problem may not be the gateway. It may be the mobile signal at the gateway's location. A professional signal assessment can determine whether coverage is the issue.
If the signal is insufficient at the lift shaft or motor room, a professionalsite assessment will identify the best approach to deliver reliable coverage to that area, whether it is a targeted signal booster or a broader DAS solution.
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MobileCorp is an Australianin-building mobile coverage specialist. We work with building owners, facilities managers, and strata committees to ensure that mobile signal reaches every part of the building, including lift shafts and motor rooms where emergency communication systems depend on cellular connectivity.
From site assessment through to installation and carrier alignment, we deliver ACMA-approved signal boosters and DAS solutions that ensure your lift emergency phone, along with every other cellular device in the building, has the signal it needs to function reliably.
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Yes. AS 1735, the Australian Standard for lifts, requires that all passenger lifts have a two-way voice communication system that connects a trapped passenger to a person capable of coordinating a rescue. The system must include a battery backup and be available at all times.
Not usually. Most lift emergency phones are programmed to call a building-specific monitoring centre or management contact rather than 000 directly. The monitoring service then coordinates the appropriate response, which may include contacting emergency services if needed.
They are required to. AS 1735 mandates that the communication system include a battery backup to ensure it operates during mains power failure. If your lift emergency phone does not have a working battery backup, it is not compliant.
There is no single mandated frequency across all jurisdictions, but regular testing is essential for compliance. Many building managers test monthly, and lift maintenance contractors typically check the emergency phone as part of routine service visits. The critical point is to test from the lift car itself, confirming the call connects, audio is clear, and the system works on battery backup.
Common causes include the 3G shutdown disabling older wireless gateways, copper PSTN lines being decommissioned, a 4G gateway that does not support VoLTE, battery backup failure, or insufficient mobile signal at the gateway location. The last cause is often overlooked because the hardware appears to be installed and functional, but the signal is too weak for the call to connect.
First, identify the connection type (copper, 3G, 4G, NBN). If it uses 3G, it needs to be replaced with a 4G/VoLTE-capable gateway. If the hardware is current but calls are failing, the issue may be the mobile signal at the gateway location. Contact your lift maintenance provider to check the hardware and a coverage specialist to assess the signal environment.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is the technology that enables voice calls on 4G networks. Without VoLTE, a 4G device can only use data, not make voice calls. After the 3G shutdown, ACMA required carriers to block any device that cannot make emergency calls via VoLTE. This means a lift phone gateway must support VoLTE specifically, not just 4G connectivity, to remain functional on Australian mobile networks.
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