08 November 2019
New equipment will detect counterfeit phones so that at the point of purchase, buyers can check with a telecom company whether the phones are genuine
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced the installation of equipment specifically designed to detect counterfeit phones in a bid to help eliminate counterfeits or second-hand phones in the marketplace.
New equipment will detect counterfeit phones so that at the point of purchase, buyers can check with a telecom company whether the phones are genuine or fake.
“As ICTs continue to transform the way we live, through the proliferation of OTT services and value added services, among others, universal standards are required to streamline connectivity, mobile finance, counterfeit devices, spam and cyber security, internet and other things,” said UCC executive director Godfrey Mutabazi, speaking at the opening of a regional preparatory meeting for the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) 2020 in Entebbe.
Mutabazi also said that the Uganda assembly is aimed at formulating policies to achieve respective goals as one African position.
He said Africans face similar challenges dealing with counterfeits like the developed economies.
“You cannot have technology for Uganda alone; the manufacturer does it for the whole world,” he added.
“Technology uses frequencies, so we have to plan for those frequencies. They don’t stop at borders. All countries must conform to a certain parameter so that the technology is relevant.”
The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) secretary general, John Omo also present at the forum, said that the new technologies and innovations in the ICT field continue to increase the standardisation gap between developed countries and developing countries.
Uganda has proposed a number of policies, which will be discussed during the ongoing meeting.
WTSA brings together African players in the telecom sector, including government representatives, experts, private sector players and academia to debate matters of interest ahead of the WTSA in Hyderabad, India, in November 2020.
