The days of counterfeit phones and other fake telecommunications devices are numbered if the industry regulator lives up to its latest threats.
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) on Tuesday said it will soon de-link fake phones from connecting to the existing mobile network.
Counterfeiting has become so pervasive in Uganda that it includes telecommunication devices, foodstuffs, medicines and even equipment spare parts. The situation is compounded by the lack of anti-counterfeit legislation that is still stuck in Parliament.
Fred Otunnu, the UCC communications and consumer affairs manager, explained that as a first step, the commission had initiated a process to curb the influx of counterfeit phones into the country. 
He did not, however, elaborate on what steps UCC will take to curb counterfeit imports.
In a public statement to major vendors like ZTE and Huawei, Godfrey Mutabazi, the UCC executive director, said fake mobile phones that do not meet the stipulated international standard should not be imported into Uganda.
“The sudden influx of fake telecommunications devices in Uganda is a serious concern. These phones are low in quality and do not meet safety standards, and in some situation, the radiation from them is beyond the permissible limits and can cause serious damage to the health of Ugandans,” he said.
While the initiative by UCC and the vendors is viewed as a positive step, it faces serious challenges in enforcement as the standards watchdogs like UCC, NEMA and UNBS have failed to manage their various sector dockets.
For instance, unsolicited messages in the telecoms persist even amidst the high public outcry while environmental degradation is almost unabated.
Mutabazi acknowledged that in the past few years, there has been a rise in mobile users now at 17 million subscribers, which has pushed the demand of various types of mobiles. These phones are usually not subjected to any regulatory authority and thereby not made in conformity to relevant standards and specifications.
Mutabazi said the poor quality of service experienced by some mobile phone users may be due to the quality of their handsets.
The equipment vendors noted that even new models are being faked and sold in the markets as soon as a new original is released.
Mutabazi said UCC would work closely with other regulatory agencies like the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and the National Environment Regulatory Authority to fight.
From: New Vision
