[tz] [IANA #985615] Sudan Time Zone change

[Paul Eggert]

On 11/01/2017 01:35 AM, ahmed.atyya at ntc.gov.sd wrote:
> With respect to the topic, please be updated that the change was applied successfully, Apple
> handsets did the update automatically but Android handsets didn’t.

In what sense didn't they change? My Android phone's time zone menu has 
entries for Cairo, Harare, and Nairobi, but not for Khartoum. If it is a 
matter of the user's time zone settings, users need to change from (say) 
Nairobi time to Cairo time. On the other hand, if it is a matter of the 
time zone supplied from the cellular service company, then this is 
something for your local cell company to address.

> We kindly request to communicate with Google in order to update Android OS with the changes
> for the handsets take the time automatically.

As I understand it, Google engineers monitor this mailing list and so 
already know about the time zone change.

There is a gap between the time that Google releases software updates, 
and the time that phones actually change. For example, even though I 
have a Google Nexus 6P phone and live in the United States, my phone is 
well behind Google's release schedule: it upgraded over-the-air to 
Android 8.0 Oreo only last night, even though Oreo was released on 
August 21 *. Other manufacturers' Android phones are even slower to 
update. This underscores the importance of governments announcing time 
zone changes well in advance: we currently recommend one years' advance 
notice.

When other countries have run into similar problems, they've had some 
luck by contacting the U.S. State Department and asking for its help in 
adjusting the priorities of commercial providers. I suggest that you 
contact the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Sudan and ask for his advice 
for how to proceed. See:

https://sd.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/

https://sd.usembassy.gov/embassy/khartoum/offices-departments/public-affairs/

 From what you tell me, though, the problem is likely to involve the 
protocols used by your local cellular service providers (that is, the 
problem may not be in Android at all), so they'll need to be in contact 
with their suppliers too.