Hype is a crazy destructive thing. The 5G evangelists oversold the technology so much that the whole world is now underwhelmed by it. While it’s a significant upgrade over LTE, sliced bread, it is not.
So, the march towards 5G continues and I’m properly whelmed by it now, as you should be too. The reality is that 4G/LTE will remain important in Zimbabwe for the foreseeable future, and even 3G will still be relevant.
However, we have no business being dependent on 2G/Edge and yet we still are, to an extent.
This table from the latest POTRAZ report shows that 45% of our base stations are 2G across all three mobile operators.
You might say, what’s the harm in relying on 2G when necessary? Well…
Google says to disable 2G connectivity
First off, we should acknowledge that this advice may not be feasible for everyone in Zimbabwe. As mentioned above, we sometimes still rely on 2G for our communication needs, so following this advice could make you unreachable at times.
Google says cell-site simulators, also known as False Base Stations (FBS) or Stingrays, are radio devices that mimic real cell towers (base stations) in order to lure mobile devices to connect to them.
This tactic allows malicious actors to surveil, intercept communications, or even commit financial fraud.
With these fake cell towers, they can forcibly downgrade nearby devices to a 2G signal, then send phishing links and malware via SMS. They can even spoof phone numbers, like those of banks, because 2G lacks mutual authentication technology.
This is known as SMS Blaster fraud, where attackers use cell-site simulators to send fraudulent SMS messages directly to phones.
This method bypasses Econet, NetOne, and Telecel, evading their network-based anti-spam and anti-fraud filters.
As noted, it relies on 2G. The 2G protocol is outdated and has significant security flaws. In developed countries, most major carriers have shut down their 2G networks.
However, even if Econet, NetOne, and Telecel shut down 2G, your phone is still capable of connecting to 2G, and this can be exploited through cell-site simulation.
This is why Google is advising users to disable 2G connectivity on their phones. They suggest going into “Settings,” navigating to “Network & Internet,” selecting “SIMs,” and manually disabling 2G.
This option is only available on phones running Android 12 and above, and even then, some manufacturers don’t provide it.
Overly fearful?
When we discuss these issues, many people believe it doesn’t really matter in Zimbabwe. Some think we’re too poor to be targeted by foreign criminals, and that our local criminals aren’t sophisticated enough.
This complacency leads to a false sense of security, until a major hack like the one involving ZB Bank occurs, and life goes on as usual. This shows that we definitely aren’t too poor to be targeted.
To add to this, Google says:
SMS Blasters are sold on the internet and do not require deep technical expertise. They are simple to set up and ready to operate, and users can easily configure them to imitate a particular carrier or network using a mobile app.
And there goes the ‘our criminals aren’t sophisticated’ comfort.
It gets worse. It’s not just criminals who commit this fraud—police forces around the world use these devices to track individuals, identify protestors, or perform other investigative tasks that would normally require legal authority.
Google is working on additional security measures to protect you from cell tower simulation, but for now, you can disable 2G if you choose.
iPhone users, however, are out of luck—there’s no easy way to disable 2G connectivity on the iPhone. You could put your phone in lockdown mode, but that would limit the phone’s functionality.
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And the game of 2G/EDGE chicken continues!
Who will blink first?
Econet knows that 5 minutes after it takes unilateral action to phase out 2G NetOne will be airing adverts praising themselves as the only network that truly cares about Zimbabwean people and how out of touch Econet is with the Zimbabwean situation.
If NetOne takes unilateral action to phase out 2G, Econet will not make a sound but it will not phase out 2G out of pure spite. Even if phasing out 2G would save Econet money on maintenance costs.
If Telecel… Lol sorry I can’t even write the sentence because I can’t even imagine it happening as doing this would be an act of pure madness that would hammer in final nail in the coffin.
And what’s Potraz stance on the issue?
I imagine that they are seized with issue of whether they should immediately raid the Universal Service Fund to buy twin cabs or wait for a bit until it’s enough to buy Toyota Fortuners.
And the Minister let’s please not bother the minister they are very busy with the issue of 2030 and they don’t have any time to do anything close to actual work.
Oh yes, preach , sister preach. Can I get an , AMEN!!!!
Please don’t bother our dear Minister. She is otherwise engaged 😂😂😂
But yeah, whoever disables 2G first will take all the abuse. Then the other one (s) will follow suit after the vitriol dies down. So, we probably have decades of 2G ahead of us.
Nothing is perfect here on earth, even 5G has it’s own flaws
But what I have learned is that tech companies are just like pharmaceutical companies they only care about money and profits they don’t need a perfect world.
For example the world economic forum is starting to tell people that farming is bad coz too much gas is released too much fertilizer and chemicals bla bla and now we just need to make all our food straight from the labs and how many countries will afford that technology its all about wealth and control.
After 20 years they will start telling you that you need to get rid of 5G because this and that After all everyone will just jump on the ship.
People must know that micro chips sales are down Nvidia and Intel lost a lot of value so they need to sell their expensive 7nm 5G micro chips plus create demand.
Right now the company that has a highest stock value in the world is Nvidia. Nvidia is the company to invest right now so i don’t know what you are talking about. Nvidia is creating AI Gpu for companies like Meta, Microsoft, Tesla and Amazon it is the recent spike in AI technology that made Nvidia the trillionare company bellow Microsoft and Apple, by the way microchips sales are not down the only company that should report that is TSMC which produces almost 90% of worlds electronic chips. Nvidia is not into mobile chips they failed it a long time ago. Samsung(with Exynox) Huawei(with Karin) and Google(with Tensor) are major chip manufacturers of 5G chips if Samsung and Apple claims that their sales have risen with their latest flagships from previous flagships then you assertion is unfounded.
Maybe you don’t follow the news in stock market, Nvidia lost over 200 billion in value last month but that doesn’t mean they’re broke and 5G micro chips are not only for mobile
Nvidia makes 5G technologies for data centers as well.
TSMC is just a mega factory, chip companies design their micro chips and send them to Taiwan for mass production.
So if you order millions of chips and people don’t buy them, TSMC will still need their money coz it’s not their job to sell those products.
I still remember when China first rolled out 5G technology before everyone else American tech companies went on panic mode and started paying Hollywood clowns🤡 to discredit 5G technology saying it causes cancer but as soon as American companies got their hands on the technology 5G became the best a lot more safe🤷🏿♂️
True. Huawei had every corner of the world linked. This also included the satellites u are now saying akapenga e Starlink.
🤦🏾♂️Korea is shaking its head in disappointment right now. So are the conspiracy theorists around the world who are wondering where their clown money is!
I agree that sometimes these companies try to force new technologies upon us that we don’t need/ can’t afford for their own benefit.
However, there is no question that 2G is not as secure as 3G-5G. If you read the full Google statement you’ll find that there are multiple reports of SMS Blasters being used around the world. There really aren’t any benefits to you staying on 2G unless you have a feature phone that can’t connect via 3G for some reason.
This is like Mercedes telling you to get rid of your deasel car coz they’re now making better electric cars 🤡
It kind of is like that. However, their statement would be supported by reports of diesel cars spontaneously combusting.
Which would mean there was truth in the fact that the newer electric cars were safer but also true that the diesels were risky but still usable.
The general ignorance being displayed in some of the comments is worrying. But then again it’s on brand for the typical Zimbo. This is a serious security risk people. Also , is it not possible to set your phone to connect to certain protocols, like 3G only, 4G only, etc? I thought all phones (except iphones apparent ly) had this capability, or is this something else?
Unonyepa. Itel can do it. Any other phone can do it. Don’t think that Apple has best software always in their walled garden.
On android go to settings- connections-mobile network- network mode and then select your preferred connections.
Imi ve ma iPhone musavhaira musina all info. Ma iSheep
Bro there is always a security risk in everything that is man made 2G 3G 4G 5G, it’s just there’s always a myth in Africa where everyone tends to believe whatever big tech companies tells them.
No one is saying 5G does not have its own security flaws. They are saying 2G has more flaws. It is easier to bypass its security measures.
Think of it like someone saying you should use a strong password with numbers, letters, special characters etc. It doesn’t mean those passwords can’t be broken, it just means they are harder to break than Password123
Security is a joke to most people. Which is sad.
And yes, you can set your phone to only connect to certain protocols. I’ll have to dig into this but it appears the fake towers mimic 3G-5G and then downgrade the connection to 2G. It appears this somehow overrides the preference you would have set. However, disabling 2G ensures it’s as good as your phone doesn’t even have a 2G modem.
The 5G evangelist did not over sale 5G technology but the reality is politicis and govt economic competition happened.
Huawei was sanctioned which was leading and had the capacity to deliver with partnerships with cities, tech companies, vehicle manufacturers.
Huawei was aiming for what Starlink will offer direct to cell. Foe Huawei it was if you don’t have our device we got you covered through your car or any smart device.
It’s so sad that we will say Starlink was the pioneer of this yet Huawei presented this tech (Direct to cell) with BMW with 5G networks.
Zvisinei hazvo techzim journalists vari pro America and EU.
Aaa ma China Aya taakutoaziva izvozvi. Vange vakahwanda ava . Secretly developing themselves. Who thought China is now the most advanced country in solar energy, construction, agriculture etc? We are still to learn what it is they can do.
China doesn’t have mass media to run their propaganda and achievements that’s why you don’t really have any information about their achievements but if you do your own research you will see that China was banned by western countries from accessing the international space station and now they have their own space station similar to the ISS.. Huawei was sanctioned from accessing 7nm chips which makes 5G technologies but this year Huawei produced its own 7nm chip for the first time etc…
Lol, they literally had a billboard tv in 1st street pumping out propaganda. Don’t fall for the stuff they put out for the international audience. If you want to see what they really think, check out the Great Translation Tovement! China does not shut up about its ‘advances’. Did you know they even run misinformation campaigns on global forums? They practically run Quora now, sweeping their dirt under the carpet and forwarding their Han supremacy and territorial expansionist policies. China is not some innocent and humble neighbour. They are a snake that will do anything to grow into an imperialist dragon.
I don’t know why you think we are pro-America or pro-EU or anti-China. We’re just anti-exploitation. It just so happens that right now it appears the Chinese are looting the country dry right out in the open. So, maybe there may be more instances of us speaking out against some of what we’re letting the Chinese get away with.
I mean, we let them build our parliamentary building. They were caught spying on AU business after they built the AU HQ and yet we thought it was a good idea to let them build one for us.
That aside. We acknowledge that Huawei was handicapped by politics. No one is disputing that.
I’m not familiar with the Huawei 5G direct to cell you speak of. However, direct to cell 5G is nothing like Direct to cell satellite. You know that the kinds of radio waves 5G needs don’t travel far and so a direct to cell 5G network that covers the whole of Zimbabwe is a pipe dream.
A low-earth orbit satellite constellation is not comparable to a 5G network.
Oh, and the 5G evangelists definitely oversold it. Its improvements didn’t really affect most people’s day to day. When people mostly use social media, send emails and watch YouTube, not many will even notice when it’s 4G or 5G. Hence why they felt underwhelmed.
Perhaps another question is to ask ourselves as to what percentage of subscribers own smart devices that are 4G and 5G capable. Network operators do have that data, hence you will surprised that due to economic challenges many subscribers own 2G/3G capable devices meaning before any disabling of 2G they then need to push for 4G/5G Device uptake and this obviously depends on disposable incomes which we all know are very small. If the population demographics still hold true that more than 50% of the people are in rural areas then we can only guage that as a country we are still way behind. It will take a serious government policy and approach to address the elephant in the room which is the economy, otherwise it’s kancane kancane for now while we watch other countries much on to 6G without us having covered even 5% of the country with 5G
4G was launched in 2009 yet most of or base stations use 2G😂😂 these guys are not serious at all, 2G is still maintained because our providers are yet to move to VoLTE and VoNR, this reliance in circut switching instead of packet switching on phone calls is cheaper for them perhaps due to the fact that they have to upgrade their core network to facilitate the change in technology. Since 2009 eish in most areas LTE is long overdue
Its good to see a proper technical answer instead of a whole lot of opinions based on propaganda!
One thing though – the service providers like everyone else (perhaps more so due to effective price controls) are feeling the cash pinch and cannot afford the massive investments. I daresay there are many with old cell phones too that rely on 2G technology
It all comes down to investment. Or priorities.
Currency woes, the populist capped tariffs, OTT eating into voice revenue but not being as lucrative. Or maybe wrong investment priorities.
Who’s to say why they didn’t invest?
Exactly! See, LTE means Long Term Evolution. In the tech business a key result area is how fast a company can innovate and role out new ideas and technology. That’s what sells and it’s an important part of the product or service. If you spend time in ancient markets wit ancient tech you go under like Nokia and motorolla.
hear hear!
1940
School Notes
One of the last labours of love performed by Mr. Milne before he left was to pull down the old unsightly pavilion on the Jubilee ground and erect a new thatched one.
The new pavilion has a pleasing appearance, which is in keeping with the atmosphere of grass covered field; and we are certain that it will be an object of pride for many years.
Tue Jubilee Ground will not be in general use for at least another year; but the grass thriving, with trees growing fast it should prove one of the most attractive playing fields in Rhodesia.
The frontage and surroundings of the Beit Hall are showing up as well in design and colour. Cannas, flowering shrubs and trees are all growing well. A feature is the lovely bougainvillea, which in bloom displays to perfection the School colours – maroon and green.
“Has the laundry made a mistake? This shirt is so tight that I can hardly breathe.”
“Yes, its your shirt alright. But you have got your head through a button-hole.”
Stop this clown thing man this is not a circus
Ndichiri kurangarira vanhu vachiti 5G is bad hanzi it destroys human cells what what. American big tech companies even said 5G is a threat to our cyber security.
But again I remember the technology was being made by Huawei so what changed.
I get what you’re saying. But consider that the same conversation was had about AI and yet the leaders were American.
My point is, when there is a technological development there will always be concerns that it is dangerous and oftentimes, some of the concerns are warranted as it takes time to really come up with security standards without stifling development.
So, we’re some of the 5G naysayers politically motivated? Yes, but all tech goes through that process, regardless of who developed it.
1940 – Zoning
It is sad the Authorities have found it necessary to enforce zoning regulations which prohibit some Old Boys sending their sons to their own old School. Tradition and loyalty are not quickly or easily achieved, and it is unfortunate when circumstances interfere with their development.
Hazvine basa zvese izvo
1940 Highlights
Dux Prize: N. Baker
Rhodes Scholarship: M.B McGuinness
Beit Junior Engineering Scholarship: R.H.H Hasson
University Scholarships: A.J.E Jaffey, R. Seal
Rugby Captain: J. Larger
Vice Captain: J. Gauche
Cricket Captain: A. Pichanick
Vice Captain: M. Timms
Swimming Victor Ludorum: M. Flint
Athletics: SA. Davidson
Boxing: (Captain) D. Wallace (Vice) C.Mandy
Dramatics: “Patience” (Gilbert & Sullivan) and “Arsenic and Old lace”
Senior debating: (Chairman) N.Baker, (Secretary) J.Horn
Cadets Camp Honour
The fact that the flag of the 3rd Battalion (“Inkomo, 1950”) is in the custody of this Unit should be a source of congratulation and pride to all ranks. Every cadet who attended Camp played his part in winning this honour for Prince Edward School Cadets.
Telecel Switched off 2G now on 3G and 4G Network only.
About about the apparent widespread hacking of whatsapp accounts?
Sir Wiki dairai foni. Missed called ndi Triga arikuda Aqua yekubhora
From reading the article, one would imagine that, if the three all had 2, 3, 4 and 5G we would be having 12 towers in a location where they are all present! I think it is possible for a service provider having all the Gs in one location on one tower, and, with infrastructure sharing, having all the Gs of the three service providers on one tower.
Whether we switch off 2G or not, it will disappear naturally due to non availability of spares and manufacturer support, just the same way some phones no longer work on WhatsApp.
Aquaduct, a very simple concept. Gravity assisted water delivery, less costly than pumping.
When most of the population doesnt care about basic things like litter throwing and law abiding then how will any area actually develop???
exagry
We are calling upon POTRAZ not to take the mick from subscribers and other stakeholders in the economy.
2G is less secure, but may improve your connection in some locations. For emergency calls, 2G is always allowed.