UCC bans hawking, vending of phones

Mar 09, 2018

The technical checks on mobile phones, according to Mutabazi, are not only meant to curb crime but also to protect consumers by examining the manufacturer, radiation levels and general safety standards.

Telecoms regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has banned hawking or vending of mobile phones in a new move aimed at sealing loopholes that have been exploited by criminals.

UCC has also asked all telecom operators, vendors and outlets selling phones to submit their merchandise for technical inspection before they're sold to the public.

"All telecom operators shall obtain type approval from UCC for all network equipment used and subscriber terminals or devices sold by respective operators," the directive states.

The technical checks on mobile phones, according to Mutabazi, are not only meant to curb crime but also to protect consumers by examining the manufacturer, radiation levels and general safety standards.

Under the new directive announced on Friday, no outlet will be allowed to sell phones unless it has a certificate of approval issued by UCC after verification that their phones meet the required standards.

Issuance of Sim cards halted

UCC has also asked the telecom operators to freeze the purchase or replacement of mobile phone sim cards indefinitely until they acquire equipment for verification of personal data.

Addressing journalists about new measures, Mutabazi said the extra measures on sim card verification were part of attempts to help forestall crime.

Under the new measures, a telecom operator will be required to install smart card readers used to verify the personal details of subscribers, matched against their national identity card data.

"The date will be instantly verified through the Application Programme Interface maintained by NIRA. All new sim card registrations shall be expected to comply with this requirement," Mutabazi stated.

subscriber seeking to acquire or replace their sim  card will undergo a three-step screening process at the service centre and only an original national identity card will be accepted.

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