Good news for people with 3G smartphones in South Africa

People with 3G-only devices in South Africa will be able to continue using them for the next several years.

However, continued imports of devices that support only 2G and 3G connectivity are hindering South Africa’s plan to shut down these legacy network technologies and replace them with improved 4G and 5G services.

That is according to feedback from Cell C chief technology officer Schalk Visser.

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) published its last timeline for shutting down 2G and 3G in South Africa in February 2024.

Under the revised Next-Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy, the switch-off would start from 1 June 2025 and be fully completed by 31 December 2027, two years later than government had originally planned.

The delayed shutdown resulted from input from industry stakeholders, including mobile networks, who were concerned about the shutdown’s impact on millions of devices still using 2G and 3G connectivity.

Under the latest policy, mobile operators can decide in which order they want to switch off their legacy networks, which was previously a point of contention between MTN and Telkom.

The policy also determined that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) would be responsible for setting out specific guidelines on the timing of the key steps in the process.

However, communications minister Solly Malatsi, a DA MP in the government of national unity appointed after the policy was published, recently said he does not believe government should impose the deadlines.

“While there is a determination to get towards the sunsetting of 2G and 3G, I think the most important thing is that it has to be market-led instead of a government imposition of a deadline,” he said.

This concurs with the Association of Communications and Technology’s (ACT’s) criticism earlier this year of the department’s proposed shutdown timelines.

“ACT does not believe this approach is ideal and continues to advocate for an industry-led process where users are encouraged to adopt newer technologies without strict government-imposed deadlines,” said ACT CEO Nomvuyiso Batyi.

“ACT believes this is a more prudent approach to avoid the risk of disrupting services for millions of users who still rely on legacy technologies and to manage the transition at a realistic pace instead of targeting strict government-imposed deadlines.”

While the minister’s views suggest a shift in strategy, it remains unclear whether the timelines in the latest available policy for halting type approval and activation of 2G and 3G devices remained in play.

The policy required that Icasa stop certifying new 2G and 3G devices by 30 September 2024. In addition, it forbade mobile networks from activating 2G and 3G devices after 31 December 2024.

MyBroadband asked the country’s four biggest mobile networks for their views on the latest developments and timelines for shutting down the legacy services.

Cell C concerned about imports

Cell C contends that the continued importing of legacy 2G and 3G devices was problematic.

“This is a primary challenge, underscoring that these outdated devices obstruct the industry-wide goal of shifting entirely to 4G and 5G,” said Cell C CTO Schalk Visser.

Visser highlighted that the imports were occurring despite 4G feature phones now being available from as little as R199 in South Africa, making them affordable for much of the population.

“Legacy devices persist in the market, creating a setback in achieving streamlined, modern network capabilities,” Visser said.

Visser said Cell C had proactively engaged with Icasa about these challenges, including the type-approval and importation of legacy 2G and 3G devices.

“Cell C has submitted formal communication to the regulator, outlining concerns and proposed considerations for a successful switch-off,” Visser said.

Visser added that issuing formal guidelines would enable Cell C to work more closely with its network partners in executing a phased 2G and 3G switch-off plan.

He said this could align with the Next Generation Spectrum Policy’s targeted 2027 deadline.

MTN targeting 2026 for 3G shutdown

MTN did not respond to MyBroadband’s questions on whether it would abide by the deadline set by government for halting the activation of new 2G and 3G devices.

However, the network previously agreed with the minister and ACT that the shutdown should be a business-led process.

The mobile network said it was actively driving a user migration programme to move customers from 3G to 4G and 5G devices.

MTN argued that 3G should be shut down before 2G since many machine-to-machine devices still use the 2G network.

It also maintained that low-income subscribers in rural areas still made use of 2G devices.

“We are mindful of ensuring minimal impact on our valued consumers during the migration to newer, advanced network technologies,” MTN said.

MTN said details and timeframes of its migration programme were commercially sensitive.

However, in an FAQ on its website, MTN lists 31 December 2026 as the deadline for the shutdown of its 3G network.

South Africa’s biggest mobile network — Vodacom — has consistently advocated for an industry-led timeline to address the challenge of migrating users from legacy devices.

Telkom previously expressed a preference for shutting down 2G before 3G because much of its voice traffic was transmitted over the latter.

In early 2024, 2G traffic on Telkom’s network was already vanishingly small — at 0.2% — all of which was carried on its roaming partners.

It also said in late 2023 that it was likely to switch off its 3G services “soon”.