From September 24, 2020, counterfeit phones will have more difficulty accessing the telecoms network in the DRC. The registration system for mobile devices which will come into operation, piloted by the telecoms regulator, will aim to identify and block them.
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and New Information and Communication Technologies (PT-NTIC), announces the activation of the registration system for mobile devices for the 24 September 2020.
According to the Ministry of Telecoms, “one of the major objectives of the mobile device registration system is the fight against counterfeiting of mobile devices, which is pervasive in the DRC. This system will recognize counterfeit and non-compliant devices and block their access to the network after a long grace period. Disconnecting these devices will benefit all users, through a significant improvement in network quality ”.
The registration system, which is a database comprising all the international identity numbers of mobile devices connected to the Congolese network, will make it possible to limit the market for counterfeit mobile devices, the use of which constitutes a real danger to the health of the Congolese because of the high doses of lead, which can give rise to infections and cardiovascular problems ”, continued the Ministry of Telecoms.
In addition to modernizing the telecommunications sector, this security solution, which is managed by the Congo Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Arptc), paves the way for other projects already in the development phase. , particularly in the fields of e-governance and access to new technologies, underlined the Ministry of PT-NTIC on August 25, 2020.