The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has said that people who buy fake mobile phones after October 2013 will be denied access to all telecommunications networks
The commission has tracked an upsurge in the importation of fake mobile handsets into the Ugandan markets, of which the majority cost as little as US$30, said a statement from the UCC.
The UCC added that it would soon make it technically impossible for counterfeit phones from being used on the country’s existing mobile telecommunications network.
UCC executive director Godfrey Mutabazi said that the commission would start by blocking new devices from accessing networks.
“We will not de-activate the already-activated SIM cards being used in counterfeit devices but no new ones will be activated,” he remarked.
Mutabazi added that the counterfeit handsets also pose health risks due to high radiation levels.
“The phones have security risks too,” stated Mutabazi. “In most instances, counterfeit handsets come with duplicated international Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) which makes it difficult for regulators and law enforcement officers to track down the criminals who use mobile phones to commit crimes.”
The UCC head further warned that in the era of e-commerce and mobile banking, the use of such counterfeit devices could expose the mobile money systems to unnecessary risks.
Warid Telecom chief commercial officer, Shailendra Naidu, was recently reported attributing the influx of counterfeit phones to the country’s porous borders and weak laws.
He had also noted that implementation of such a clamp-down would have diverse effects on mobile phone operators, mobile phone users and the economy at large.
UCC has expressed a similar concern over the clampdown on fake phones becasue it could throw many phone dealers out of business since genuine phones were often too expensive for most people in the country.
Mutabazi, however, said, “We have already embarked on consultations with our key stakeholders in the sector-operators, mobile phone manufacturers and relevant government ministries and sister regulators in the East African region. This campaign calls for team effort and they will join us to eliminate fake phones from the country.”
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