Telegram Is The WhatsApp Alternative That The Government Has Failed To Block

Farai Mudzingwa Avatar
Telegram, IM platforms, WhatsApp alternatives,, video calls

WhatsApp is basically the most popular communication tool in Zimbabwe and now that it –along with social media- has been blocked, the country has basically come to a standstill over the past two days.

Time and time again when WhatsApp and Telegram comparisons are made there are always people rooting for Telegram saying that it’s better than WhatsApp because of [insert whatever reason is given] but finally it seems there might be a legit reason that actually gets Zimbos seriously using Telegram. You see, Telegram is working whether you have a VPN or not which means right now it’s the simplest way to communicate without having to go around any loops and hurdles.

Why can’t they block Telegram?

Many governments have tried and failed to block Telegram with Russia also trying the same tactic but faling last year. Why? Well, apparently to block an Instant Messenger like Telegram the government has to block the IP addresses of every server the messenger uses to communicate with the outside world. Telegram essentially kept changing servers and the Russian government couldn’t keep up.

Telegram also uses domain fronting which allows them to effectively host a service on another company’s system whilst effectively hiding the traffic source. This means traffic just appears like it’s coming from Google and censorship becomes that much harderd.

Anyway, away from all the technical mumbo-jumbo is the fact that Telegram is working without VPNs. You can download Telegram for Android here and for iOS use this link.

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20 comments

  1. inrangeafrica

    Techzim kumberi. I like

  2. Lenox Mhlanga

    This shows just how daft it is to block the Internet. Or should we say that we are ruled by people so dense its painful to watch.

  3. Sagitarr

    What can you expect from a party that cheered on as their president donated computers to rural schools which have no electricity? Remember diesel from the rocks?…. and buying chiefs cars when there are no ambulances. I’m surprised people even have the audacity to publicly humiliate themselves by ingratiating with such bull dust!!

    Idiotic is to put it mildly; a new adjective is required to fully describe this mass stupidity which knows no boundaries..

    1. Anonymous

      A kakistocracy (/ˌkækɪsˈtɒkrəsi, -ˈstɒk-/) is a system of government which is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.[1][2] The word was coined as early as the seventeenth century.[3] It also was used by English author Thomas Love Peacock in 1829, but gained significant use in the first decades of the twenty-first century to criticize populist governments emerging in different democracies around the world.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakistocracy

    2. Anonymous

      we don’t need a new adjective when one exists that perfectly describes Zanu (kakistocracy)

  4. Anonymous

    Thanks for this article!!

  5. Anonymous

    Looks like Telegram is no longer working on ZOL

    1. Anonymous

      NOT TRUE. It is working for me.

  6. Anonymous

    Telegram won’t make a significant difference in Zimbabwe because there is no bundle for it.

  7. Bvumavaranda

    For us, it will coz we are on OneFusion data. For $10 I can last a month

  8. 唐t q

    I live in China but for me to access Telegram messanger i will need VPN,Myb most governments have tried to block it but China has succeeded to the extent that you dnt even find a single vpn App in Chinese App Store

  9. Tmars

    It seems they have also blocked the Play store it’s not downloading

  10. Robert Malunda
  11. yahaya

    hi … mine is saying too many attempts …. what could be the challenge?

  12. Dustin P

    telegram and nordvpn is a best bundle u can get to encrypt your traffic, it is just awful how much data can be collected and shared.

  13. Anonymous

    How can l download VPN

  14. Genius Chiyengerere

    GOOGLE PLAYSTORE BLOCKED HAHAHA, STUPID GVMNT

  15. Anonymous

    That’s nice to hv this

  16. Anonymous

    telegram techzim group link pliz

  17. Anonymous

    This is superb

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