DITO backs phaseout of 2G, 3G networks for a safer mobile environment

• IN PHOTO: Atty. Adel Tamano during the ‘Kaya DITO’ campaign launch.

By San Matildo

DITO Telecommunity has expressed full support for the planned phaseout of 2G and 3G networks in the Philippines, stressing that retiring these outdated technologies will free up spectrum for more secure, reliable, and advanced mobile services while helping protect consumers from scams that exploit older systems.

Atty. Adel Tamano, Chief Revenue Officer for DITO’s Consumer Business, said the move is a welcome development.

“So, we’re very supportive of that. And really, the frequencies should be refined for something like this,” Tamano said in the sidelines of the ‘Kaya DITO’ campaign launch.

One of the key risks linked to legacy networks is the use of IMSI catchers—fake cell towers used by cybercriminals to intercept mobile data and conduct phishing or spoofing scams.

Industry experts have long urged the shutdown of older networks to minimize these vulnerabilities.

Tamano clarified that DITO’s support is not driven by competitive advantage—since the company never operated on 2G or 3G—but by the need to keep consumers safe.

“Our frequencies are only 4G — actually quite small — and 5G, which is better. That’s why, if you take a look at phishing and other scams, our subscribers at DITO are actually quite well protected. This is because we don’t have 2G and 3G,” Tamano explained

DITO, which now operates around 7,300 towers nationwide, was never assigned 2G and 3G frequencies.

Tamano added that while DITO subscribers may still receive scam messages from other networks, the company has put in place strong safeguards to protect its users.

These include blocking suspicious activity and restricting the transmission of links often used in phishing or “smishing” attacks.

“We’ve been working very closely with the people at the DICT. So, we have… we have protocols in place. Depending on the behavior of the subscriber — if it’s suspicious, we can actually start blocking them. We also don’t allow the sending of certain types of links. That’s why we have very strong protocols against phishing and smishing,” Tamano said.