Privacy Cell

Unknown Network sometimes appears when the signal is too weak for a connection to be made.

Currently, an unknown network registers as a Secure Network (along with 5G NR and IWLAN). The thought process behind this was that an unknown network will not be used to transfer data, therefore it is secure from IMSI catchers intercepting such data. Also, when a network is brought online it sometimes registers an unknown while the protocol is being negotiated. As such, assuming that 5G NR becomes ubiquitous, this minimizes flapping of the notification.

But in the case of a weak signal (like camping in a remote rural area), when the connection is made the protocol is currently more likely to be Antiquated or Insecure. In these scenarios, the current design causes a lot of flapping of notifications.