NCC warns phone dealers against compromising standards

Fri, Aug 2, 2019
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Business

THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has warned dealers of mobile devices and telecoms consumers against compromising the standards set by the commission. The commission said they must abide by the type-approval processes.

Yomi Arowosafe, Ibadan Zonal Controller, NCC, explained that type approval is the process by which the commission certifies that a device meets a minimum requirement.

Speaking with telephone dealers in Osun, under the aegis of the GSM Repairs and Maintenance Association, GREMA, Arowosafe said the required devices must meet regulatory, technical and safety requirements before its entry into the market for sale.

According to him, the sensitisation workshop centred on “Effect of non-type approved handsets on QoS and E-waste” was in line with the commission’s regulatory mandate of educating stakeholders, improving quality of service, ensuring sales and patronage of only type-approved handsets and creating a good healthy environment devoid of e-waste.

Group photograph
Group photograph

Arowosafe stressed that e-waste gets compounded and becomes a threat when substandard devices with limited durability are sold by phone dealers and patronised by telecom consumers, leading to incriminate disposal of such used electronic devices within the environment.

He explained that the Commission uses international-best-practice standards to type approve telecom devices in order to ensure seamless interoperability across mobile networks and prevent quality of service degradation as a result of substandard devices getting connected to the networks.

He enjoined the phone dealers and telecom consumers to check the list of type-approved devices on the Commission’s website before taking their purchase decision, stressing that because non-type approved ICT equipment negatively impacts QoS, revenue accruable to Federal Government and breeds e-waste with potential health risk, “it is a punishable offence for anyone to go against the approved standards.”

On his part, Lawal Adebayo, Chairman, GREMA, applauded the NCC for organising the workshop for the association members, promising that GREMA members across the state would ensure strict adherence to set standards by the commission.

– Aug. 2, 2019 @ 18:55 GMT |

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