Fake mobile phones dangerous, affect QoS, says NCC

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that non-type-approved mobile handsets are not safe for use and can negatively affect the quality of service provisioning.

The Commission at its sensitisation and knowledge-sharing programme at Paiko, near Minna in Niger State, said, using non-certified sets was hazardous and posed threat to successful management of electronic wastes.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of NCC, noted that  apart from the risk posed to humans by counterfeited and substandard mobile devices, fake handsets and other devices have implications for the quality of consumer experience and it damages the integrity of the networks, and also threatens both the security and economy of the nation.

Represented by Amina Shehu, director, zonal operations of the commission, the NCC boss, called on the participants at the programme to be mindful of the types of phones they use in order to minimize the risks of radiation and other negative consequences associated with counterfeit and substandard mobile devices.

He told the audience that NCC was working collaboratively with Consumer Protection Council, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), agencies charged with the duty of protecting the environment as well as those in the security to address the menace of importation and sale of non- type approved handsets in the country.

The sensitization workshop came just two days the telecom regulator organized a public inquiry on draft guidelines for disaster recovery and draft regulations on e-waste held at its headquarters where Danbatta affirmed that electronic waste constituted the fastest- growing waste stream in the world, saying because that genre of waste is non-biodegradable, it was time stakeholders took concrete implementable actions to arrest the proliferation of electronic waste in the country.