The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given explanations why it carries out type approval tests on communication equipment and issues certificates based on the technical specifications and standards.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, who gave the explanation at a sensitisation forum on “Hazardous Effects of Non-Type Approved Handsets/Equipment on Quality of Service and E-Waste” in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, noted that using non-type approved handsets and other devices has implications for quality of telecom services.
Type approval, according to him, is an administrative procedure of technical tests and vetting applied to items of telecoms equipment before they can be sold, connected to the public network or used for the purpose of communication.
“Consistent with our mandate, the Commission has shown relentless commitment towards the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunication services in Nigeria and always ready to engage all stakeholders in addressing any challenge in the sector,” Danbatta, who was represented at the forum by Venny Eze-Nwabufoh, Controller of the Commission’s Port Harcourt Zonal Office said.
Danbatta affirmed and added that the objective of the sensitization is to ensure that stakeholders comply with the requirement of the law; identify fake and sub-standard products; enhance Quality of Service (QoS) delivery and Quality of Experience (QoE) to consumers; establish and enforce standards; and ensure that equipment operates seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment.
While urging vendors of communication equipment and devices to ensure that the devices sold to the public are type approved by the Commission, the EVC also informed the participants that the Commission in collaboration with the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other key government agencies has set up two joint committees – Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the Project Delivery Team (PDT) – to combat the recurrent cycle of fraudster deploying their trade via fake and substandard mobile devices. He declared that these committees are to ensure the implementation of the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), a Public-Private Partnership project to combat the proliferation of counterfeit, substandard and cloned mobile communication devices in telecommunication industry through proper monitoring of our borders and the market.