Zimbabwe orders Internet shutdown with unintended consequences – But also why need ham radio operators
When the Zimbabwean government ordered internet service providers to shutter parts of the web in an effort to curb anti-government protests, it also plunged homes into darkness because people can’t pay their utilities online.
Most people in the southern African nation use Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Ltd.’s Ecocash mobile-phone payment system for daily transactions. They buy electricity in units of $5 or less and almost all domestic users are on prepaid meters, so many buy for $1 at a time.
Purchasing aside, it is a reality in many countries around the world that Internet connectivity and sometimes even cellphone networks are either shut off intentionally or by disaster and then is when radio is still there as a backup. We cannot let radio communications become redundant just because we have modern digital networks. We enjoy the use of digital networks at the pleasure of our governments and at the mercy of Nature.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/292284-zimbabwe-orders-internet-shutdown.html
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Zimbabwe orders Internet shutdown When the Zimbabwean government ordered internet service providers to shutter parts of the web in an effort to curb anti-government protests, it also plunged homes into darkness because people can’t pay their utilities online. |