Here’s a rewritten version with a more provocative tone:
Why is South Africa Stuck with 2G? Blame the Mobile Operators and the Regulator!
Cell C’s CTO Schalk Visser is not mincing his words. He’s fed up with the ongoing importation of legacy 2G devices into the country, and he’s pointing fingers at the mobile operators and the regulator for their lack of urgency in shutting down these outdated networks.
"2G-only devices are clogging the system, hindering our efforts to migrate to 4G," he blasted. "It’s like we’re stuck in a time warp, and it’s frustrating to see consumers still clinging to these ancient technologies."
But Visser isn’t just laying the blame at the feet of the consumers. He’s also accusing the mobile operators of dragging their feet on the migration to 4G, citing the cost of 4G feature phones as a major stumbling block.
"It’s not about the cost anymore. 4G feature phones are available for as little as R199. The operators need to step up and get the right devices to the right people," he insisted.
So, what’s the holdup? It seems that the mobile operators are still relying on their roaming partners, MTN and Vodacom, to provide services, and those partners are dragging their feet as well.
Visser has been working on improving the multi-operator core network (Mocn) roaming system, which allows Cell C to create a virtual representation of its network on top of either MTN’s or Vodacom’s infrastructure. But progress is slow, and he’s still hoping to complete the project by March.
The real question is: can South Africa afford to keep staring into the past? With the ongoing reliance on 2G and 3G technologies, the country is missing out on the benefits of faster data speeds and better call quality. It’s time for the mobile operators to take responsibility and get with the times.