Global leap to 4G and 5G would cut off phone access for millions of vulnerable people.
- Telecom companies aim to profit from the 2G-to-5G transition as governments worldwide face pressure to free up mobile spectrum.
- Vietnam is the latest country to shut down 2G by offering free 4G phones to the poor.
- India and South Africa have expressed concern that the strategy would cut off phone access for millions of vulnerable people.
There’s a lot of hidden cost associated with supporting legacy features/standards/technology
Do they have different frequencies? Require different antennas?
Are there cost implications for radios / amplifiers? Do ASICs support only newer modes? How much obsoleted / legacy HW is required?
And that’s just from a manufacturer standpoint.
Are more licenses required? Or other regulatory impacts?
Yeah, that’s a good point.