BANGERS, BEGONE!

For the police, Flow’s decommissioning of its 2G system tomorrow is a welcome strike against lottery scammers bent on criminal mayhem. But for some law-abiding Jamaicans, the move could threaten their livelihoods or cause widescale inconvenience if caught unprepared.

The telecommunications company said since September 2022, it had been informing customers that it would be shutting down its 2G platform as it continues to upgrade its network.

Effective April 15, customers with a 2G-only device and SIM card will not be able to access any of Flow’s mobile services unless they upgrade to a device and/or SIM capable of working on the more advanced 3G, LTE, and 4G systems.

While not divulging the number of customers to be affected, Flow said the shutdown will impact residential and commercial clients using second-generation cellular phones – particularly those popularly called ‘bangers’ and favoured by the elderly, tradesmen and lottery scammers; gate openers; vehicle trackers; wingles; dongles; and point-of-sale (POS) machines powered solely by its 2G network.

Devices that give the user the option to switch to 3G, LTE, and 4G systems will not be affected.

Flow explained to The Sunday Gleaner that the decommissioning of the 2G network aligns with global efforts to offer faster, more reliable, and efficient connectivity by embracing other advanced technologies.

Initially, the shutdown was to take place last year, but it was pushed back.

“Flow customers were previously notified back in September 2022 about the decommissioning of the 2G network, scheduled then for 2023,” the telecommunications company noted last week in response to questions from The Sunday Gleaner.

“We are now actually behind on the decommissioning exercise because we took the time to help our business customers make the transition from 2G.”

Flow customers will also not be able to roam with a 2G-only device, as Flow’s roaming partners have already decommissioned their 2G networks and upgraded to LTE, 4G or 5G.

PREFER THE BANGER

2G-only users should have had ample time in the two years to upgrade their devices, but some were unprepared for Monday’s shut down of the system. Persons The Sunday Gleaner spoke to last week said they were aware of the decommissioning of the 2G system, but expressed concerns about the transition.

Middle-aged mechanic ‘Dan Dan’, a Flow customer, who operates in downtown Kingston, was aware of the change but was perturbed nonetheless about the future of his beloved Nokia banger. For him, the small, inexpensive phone is favoured over the bulkier smart devices, which often get damaged while carrying out his work.

“With the banger, because it always a drop and me always in grease, it is better for me. Is regular smartphone mash up from me. Me all lean on car and squeeze it up,” said Dan Dan.

“And then me is a man now who always underneath cars, and more time, me all forget it. So bangers safer. If me go away leave it, me can get it back.”

“To be honest, I heard about the switch the other day. But me just have to go upgrade and done,” he added, openly thinking of ways to adjust.

Cassandra Morrison, executive director of the National Council for Senior Citizens, was concerned about the vulnerability of seniors during the period it will take them to upgrade their devices.

Many are still reliant on banger phones, she cautioned, and many are susceptible to fraudsters who might take advantage of them during the transition.

“This change is supposed to be more modern and offer faster and efficient service, but in that thrust, the council would want them to make significant efforts to ensure reliable service when older people need it. The ability to make and receive a call in this age group may be the difference between life and death,” Morrison charged, adding that there needs to be clear and age-appropriate communication about such changes to prevent fraudsters from misguiding elders.

“Beyond that, we would certainly want the provision of low-cost options for the replacement of handsets since some of those persons will either have to trade in or abandon those things altogether. We know that, like so many of us, pensioners are on a budget. So we implore the service providers to consider options that will benefit senior citizens,” she added.

CUSTOMERS MAKING SWITCH

Yesterday, Andy Bailey, operator of BLC Jamaica Security Electronics, which provides clients with electronic gate and car tracking services, told The Sunday Gleaner that at least 30 per cent of his customers operate on the 2G system.

Since hearing of the shutdown months ago, he said he informed his customers of the changes and stopped purchasing those older devices. Existing customers, he said, will have to foot the cost of upgrading their systems. Many of his clients, he said, had already started the switchover.

“The [electronic] gate itself does not use the 2G, but if you have additional things on it, for example, if the Wi-Fi is not near the gate or the signal drops, you will have to use the chip, which is on the 2G service. What you do is call or text it and it sends a signal to the gate and it opens. Also, the car trackers, they use the old version of the 2G, so those are not going to work either,” he explained.

“So you now have to upgrade the instrument and change the chip you are using for the car tracker or gate. You have some trackers that you monitor yourself and some that companies monitor. Some of those use 2G, so those will have to be upgraded.”

AID IN LOTTERY SCAM FIGHT

Superintendent Eron Samuels, commander for the St James Police Division, told The Sunday Gleaner that the decommissioning of the 2G service and subsequent phasing out of the banger phones will aid the fight against lottery scamming – though he admitted that the criminals will inevitably find other ways around it.

Banger phones are preferred by scammers because they are inexpensive and thus easier disposed of than smartphones, the police have noted. They are also durable and less easily tracked by cyber sleuths.

“They will use other platforms and try to find ways to do what they are doing, but at least it will put them on the back foot for a little while so we can see whatever new trend they use,” said Samuels.

“In any case, anything that will impact the lottery scamming to ensure that there is a decline in that, we appreciate it. Many of these persons use the proceeds from lottery scamming to conduct other criminal activities.”

Commending his officers in the western end of the island, Samuels said, “The violence that used to come with lottery scamming 10 to 15 years ago has lessened, and that is because all the members in the St James division have been constantly working to stop the lottery scamming trade.”

The Sunday Gleaner understands that more than 50 police operations and raids were carried out within the first few months of this year, resulting in more than a dozen persons being arrested and charged in relation to the rampant lottery racket.

BANGER DAYS LONG GONE

Nonetheless, two lottery scammers in the west laughed at the development as they told The Sunday Gleaner that the days of banger usage in the trade have long passed.

Now, they said, scammers use applications on their smartphones that enable them to choose and discard overseas cellular phone numbers at will. Besides, potential “clients” have long been made aware of Jamaica’s notorious 876 area code for lottery scamming, one said.

“Some man still use banger phone, but your same smartphone can use. All you have to do is download the app that give you the number, and you choose which state you want you number from,” he said.

The other declared, “This thing is a multibillion-dollar game; it cyaan stop! And it is not something where you jump up and get rich; you have to love it and put in the work.”

They also explained that online platforms such as CashApp and PayPal have replaced the need for remittance outlets such as Western Union, which have grown increasingly stringent over the years.

DIGICEL SHUTTING

DOWN 2G IN AUGUST

In the meantime, Digicel’s head of Mobile Services, Jeremy Hall, explained that Digicel will be decommissioning its 2G platform on August 31, and that already, the company has started shutting down certain aspects of it.

“Relative to our overall base, 2G-only users represent a small percentage of customers using classic push-button phones (bangers), in addition to Internet of Things (IoT) devices and legacy industry applications that depend on the technology,” he said.

“Since the overwhelming majority of customers are already using more advanced 4G technology, they will not be at risk of losing connectivity to the Digicel network.”

He added, “Since 2G equipment consumes more power than newer technologies, we are reducing our carbon footprint, while responding to consumer and business demand for the latest devices that are supported by our faster, more responsive 4G network.”

In the meantime, Flow is encouraging customers who have not made the upgrade to contact customer service as soon as possible.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com

Shutdown of the 2G system will impact devices powered solely

by 2G such as:

• Residential and commercial clients using second-generation cellular phones – particularly those popularly called ‘bangers’ and favoured by the elderly, tradesmen and lottery scammers

• Gate openers

• Vehicle trackers

• Wingles

• Dongles

• Point-of-sale (POS) machines