Local industry association the Association of Communications and Technology wants the South African government to lift its deadline for shutting down the country’s 2G and 3G networks.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) wants both to be switched off by 31 December 2027.
According to news service MyBroadband, however, many South African residents and businesses, including the state-owned rail, port, and pipeline company Transnet, still rely on these older technologies.
The Association of Communications and Technology’s CEO says South Africans must be aligned regarding phasing out 2G and 3G. Her organisation is calling for a massive public awareness campaign instead of just a closedown date.
The plan is to shut down the networks aims to free up valuable resources for newer technologies, but there are apparently fears that a switch-off could harm essential systems and leave many South Africans without access to cellular communication.
Market leader Vodacom apparently agrees. A spokesperson recently told MyBroadband that 2G and 3G terminal sales still comprise a large portion of the market. It says it hopes that regulator ICASA will work with the industry to develop a practical schedule for sunsetting of legacy technologies during its feasibility study, which is expected to start soon.
It seems that the challenging economic conditions in South Africa, coupled with high taxation on 4G and 5G smartphones, are driving continuing demand for 2G and 3G devices. Several million of these remain active on South African networks. Many machine-to-machine and Internet of Things (IoT) devices also use the older technologies.
