Floppy disks, 3G, and accessibility
How deprecating old technologies impacts people, and what we could do to ensure a smooth transition for everyone
In this issue, we will talk about how technological advancement leaves millions behind (again), and what can be done about it.
This issue consists of 1,096 words and will take about 8.5 minutes to read.
This newsletter remains free thanks to the power of will and passion for accessibility. You can support the author by buying him a cup of coffee.
Flop, flop from the top
In 2024, Japan’s government officially stopped using floppy disks. Citizens and workers are no longer expected to turn the important documents in on the storage devices straight from the 1960s.
The announcement of the floppy disk’s deprecation was met with a mixture of appreciation and confusion. Visibly, the latter was more prevalent: why did it take the government of a technologically advanced nation an eternity to catch up with the rest of the world?
The answer may seem obvious at first: floppy disks are ancient, the manufacturers have long stopped producing them, and Japan was simply forced to move on, but lagged behind due to its government and population being overly conservative. Indeed, Japan is an ageing nation, and its more senior citizens often refuse to do business online, choosing to fax the documents and keep the paperwork on thumb drives instead.
On the other hand, obsolete systems are used everywhere, often without anyone suspecting a thing. Case in point: Deutsche Bahn AG recently posted a job opening for a position of a Windows 3.1, a 1992 OS, administrator. The cost of upgrading old systems is tremendous. Just imagine the avalanche of changes it evokes, the number of processes impacted by an upgrade, each demanding care and attention.
Now, think of the literal millions of users impacted by the change. Japan took its time to phase out floppy disks: very few people have encountered them in recent years, and the deprecation is not likely to hurt a single user—beside, perhaps, some overly-sentimental government workers, who have grown too attached to their diskettes.
A grace period of several decades allowed the population to embrace and get accustomed to new technologies: floppy disks, once dominating the data storage market, no longer had any impact on their lives. Their retirement may be bitter-sweet, but only in a sentimental way.
Unlike some others.
3G no more
By the end of 2024, telco providers in Australia and Singapore will shut their 3G services down for good. Ironically, Japan have purged its 3G network a while ago, and so have many others: there’s nothing wrong with a better connectivity at a lower price, is there?
Well, although most people will barely notice the discontinuation of the 3G network, it will impact thousands of people, especially those from the most vulnerable (and least visible) groups.
How’s your health, mate?
Australian “The Senior” warns: old digital devices, home alarms, security cameras, and most importantly, personal medical devices will be affected by the network’s deprecation.
Hundreds of thousands of Personal Emergency Response Systems (basically, an SOS button) will turn into pumpkins effectively overnight. In 2022, NCIS group estimated that to replace all 300,000 PERs devices, the Australian healthcare system would have to be upgrading at least 400 of them daily for 2 years straight.
In just 2 years, 300,000 perfectly functioning, cheap, and simple devices that literally keep people alive, will require a (costly) upgrade. "An elder or someone else with a vulnerability who is relying on that alarm for an emergency response simply won't get one," says David Waldie from medical alarm company Eevi.
Care providers will have plenty of work explaining to their elderly clients why they need to replace their phones and medical devices.
In the event of a fire, burn
If 200,000 does not sound like a large number, how about 740,000, the number of people who won’t be able to dial the emergency number, according to the Australian government?
These people’s phones use 3G to access the emergency network — and just like 300,000 personal emergency response systems, these devices will all be good for nothing come the judgement day.
“The government will continue to monitor this issue closely”, say the officials, and urge people to check whether their devices are 4G-compatible themselves.
Call me, maybe?
It should come as no surprise that people live and work everywhere, often far from big cities. It should also be obvious that, much like us, the urban dwellers, those who choose to live in the countryside need to stay connected with their families, customers, and emergency services.
The discontinuation of 3G will impact the residents of poorly connected remote areas, who not only wish to stay alive in the event of an emergency, but often use basic devices on older networks on their farms. “The changeover carries a significant cost to farmers”, writes the Guardian: some automated farming equipment, for instance, will need an upgrade.
The ability to access the network is an absolute necessity in 2024, and the discontinuation of a network takes it away from those who have no other choice by to rely on an obsolete technology in the first place.
So what should we do?
Technological progress inevitably leaves someone behind. People always cling onto the old ways of doing things: some by choice, rejecting novelty and embracing the familiar, others out of necessity.
I used to dread the day Microsoft would pull the plug on Skype, the only application my grandmother managed to master that keeps us connected across borders and time zones. Luckily, she took her time to discover WhatsApp, so it looks like we are out of the woods.
Technological progress is imminent, and there is no way to stop it, nor is there a need to. What I urge considering is its impact on the vulnerable groups, on those who cannot afford to keep up. Making the transition gentle, smooth, and painless is critical to ensure equal and continuous access to services and goods for everyone.
The case of a floppy disk being rendered obsolete is an exaggerated, costly, but inspiring example of how an obsolete technology is allowed to die out naturally. The discontinuation of an old service doesn’t have to take decades, but it is critical to make sure that the impact of a change is mitigated.
Have a topic in mind you would like us to discuss? Drop me a message!