Big problem with South Africa’s 2G and 3G shutdown plan

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.
However, many South African residents and businesses, including the state-owned rail, port, and pipeline company Transnet, still rely on these older technologies.
Speaking to eNCA, Association of Communications and Technology CEO Nomvuyiso Batyi said South Africans must be aligned regarding phasing out 2G and 3G.
“South Africans do not want to be left behind, but in doing that, we have to make sure that all the stakeholders that are supposed to be part of that journey are aware of the consequences,” she said.
“We are saying it should be led by industry and overseen by the regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.”
Batyi said her organisation wants the DCDT to remove the deadline for switching off the country’s 2G and 3G networks.
“In making sure that no one is left behind, let us not have a set deadline and cause unnecessary panic. Let us make sure South Africans have affordable devices in terms of 4G,” she said.
“There must be a massive public awareness campaign instead of just having a date.”
While the plan to shut down the networks will free up valuable resources for newer technologies, there are concerns that the switch-off could harm essential systems.
It could also leave many South Africans without access to cellular communication.
Vodacom agrees with Batyi’s approach. A spokesperson recently told MyBroadband that 2G and 3G terminal sales still comprise a large portion of the market. It also wants more industry engagement regarding the deadlines.
“Transitions of this nature have a significant impact on customers, and we are hopeful that Icasa will work with the industry to develop a practical schedule for sunsetting of legacy technologies during its feasibility study, which we expect to commence shortly,” they said.
The spokesperson explained that the challenging economic conditions in South Africa, coupled with high taxation on 4G and 5G smartphones, drive demand for 2G and 3G devices.
“Our recommendation to government is to first engage with industry regarding managing the inflow rate of new 2G/3G devices into the market, and then monitor the rate of attrition of 2G/3G devices on the various networks, before deciding on next steps,” they said.

Vodacom previously said it estimates that several million 2G and 3G devices remain active on South African networks, as well as many machine-to-machine and Internet of Things devices.
“Our estimation is that there are at least a few million 2G/3G machine-related devices attached to the various networks,” it said.
MTN also said 2G and 3G devices still play a vital role in South Africa. However, it plans to assist its customers in transitioning to newer technologies by subsidising 4G devices.
“We have put measures in place to serve customers who have been utilising 2G devices, some of the measures include increasing the investment towards smart feature devices and continue investing in subsidising 4G entry devices to reduce costs so that our customers can afford to purchase these devices,” it said.
Telkom previously told MyBroadband that while it doesn’t carry any 2G traffic on its network, it still carries voice traffic on its 2G networks.
It still supports the plan to deactivate the networks, provided the process is carried out responsibly and doesn’t exclude poor and rural communities from Internet connectivity.
“We still carry a significant portion of voice traffic on 3G and switching this technology off in an unmanaged manner will have an impact on some of our customers,” said Telkom.
“The cost of 4G and 5G devices keeps them out of reach for most South Africans.”