Complaints about ‘bangers’ are loud – Jamaica Observer

FOLLOWING the shutdown of Jamaica’s 2G network, a local organization of rural women producers has received more than 100 complaints from its members, with problems ranging from the inability to upgrade phones due to cost to a lack of support to ease the transition.

Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (JNRWP) President Tamisha Lee spoke Jamaican columnist that those affected include single women farmers, many of whom are single mothers, as well as elderly family members and their elderly relatives.

“Common concerns include accessibility issues, feelings of unfairness, difficulty using smartphones and a lack of policies that support a just transition for rural residents,” Lee said, adding that some only want to call and perhaps send a text message.

Telecoms company Flow abandoned its 2G network in April, with Digicel following a few months later in August. As a result, customers who only have 2G phones (such as those popularly called “bangers”) now have to replace devices because they can no longer make and receive calls, send and receive text messages, or use mobile data .

After a few months, many rural women producers were upset.

One of the farmers with whom Sunday Columnist Pam Robinson, 53, said she bought the amazing phone just months before the 2G network shutdown but had to put the device away.

“They know they called, they closed, and they’re still selling them the same way,” said Robinson of New Works in Westmoreland. “The Dems could stop selling them phones because they know it’s time to turn them off.”

“Now I have no money, I can buy a phone to replace it,” she added.

Dorothy Stewart, a member of the JNRWP New Works Cluster in Westmoreland, also purchased an explosive device shortly before the shutdown. She bought the device for her 81-year-old father.

However, after purchasing the phone, it stopped working. Later, while trying to buy another banger as a replacement, she found out that it was due to a 2G network outage.

She told Sunday Columnist that she was trying to convince her father to buy a higher-end phone with 3G and 4G capabilities. It was only after he suffered a stroke while working on a farm about a month ago that he agreed.

“He’s a farmer, so when he’s on the farm, I wanted to be able to keep an eye on him. After something went wrong, I had to convince him to get a (touch screen) phone because he went to a farm and was there all day and no one could contact him,” Stewart said.

She said that while lying in the bushes, her father heard someone passing by and was able to make a sound to get their attention.

“I almost lost him because of the phone. He didn’t have a phone, so he couldn’t call for help,” she said.

Meanwhile, Li mentioned that her father, being an elderly man, has difficulty using a smartphone and is hesitant to study.

“He represents many older adults who need practical strategies to adapt to these changes,” she said.

Munro JNRWP Cluster President in St Elizabeth Opal Jackson said 50 per cent of women in her cluster had little to no means of communication.

“Some of them are not able to buy a phone,” she told the publication. Sunday Columnist. “A lot of them use banner phone to do business because they understand banner phone better because it’s just click and answer.”

Now, she explained, customers can no longer call ahead and place pickup orders or check to see what produce might be available because those farmers have not yet replaced their units due to financial constraints.

Jackson also said that with 2G network outages by two companies occurring just before and during the rainy season, and with farmers suffering from Hurricane Beryl in July, followed by prolonged rainfall which further impacted their crops, many farmers are still picking up the pieces, while others have had to start from scratch, so they can’t find the funds for new 3G and 4G phones.

Robinson agreed, noting that after he invested a lot of money into planting yellow squash – paying for digging holes, planting and buying fertilizer – a storm came and destroyed everything.

“Farmers always lose,” she said.

Both Digicel and Flow informed customers of the upcoming outage of their 2G network, with Flow saying its team was ready to assist customers with the transition in person at its stores, and Digicel urging customers to “upgrade yuh Banga” while offering deals on smartphones. They said the 2G network shutdown is part of ongoing efforts to improve their network.

The JNRWP president has several proposals for both telecom brands.

“We need companies to start holding public workshops on the basics of using smartphones, making devices easier for older adults, and perhaps providing accessible resources or one-on-one assistance to make the learning process easier. Make sure phones can connect to the network for free, as long-term use can pay off the cost,” Lee said.