THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
on Monday in Lagos advised telecommunications
subscribers to use standard phones to get quality
services.
The Director of Public Affairs of the Commission,
Tony Ojobo, gave the advice in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that the use of substandard phones
would significantly reduce quality of services
received by subscribers.
The NCC official blamed some of the challenges
on quality delivery to fake or substandard
phones.
“Drop calls, lack of network connectivity and
reduced ability to maintain clearer conversation
while making a call are some of the problems
associated with substandard phones,’’ the NCC
director said.
According to him, the regulatory body has
published a list of type-approved phones on its
Website to assist subscribers on which handset to
buy.
Ojobo said that NCC was partnering with the
Nigeria Customs Service to check the influx of
substandard telephones into the Nigeria market.
``We have collaborated with the Customs in
giving them a list of phones that are type-
approved since they have the responsibility at the
entry point where these phones are coming in,’’
he said.
The official said that the telecom regulator had in
2012 embarked on enforcement tasks and had
closed down offices of manufacturers whose
phones were not certified by NCC.
“Once we find that they are substandard
products, we impound them and even arrest the
people selling them,’’ Ojobo said.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene
Juwah, had in 2012 said that 60 per cent of the
mobile telephones in the country were
substandard.
Juwah said that most of the phones were poor
quality ones imported from China and which
made it very difficult to technically locate them
when stolen.
Nokia’s Vice President, West and Central Africa,
James Rutherfoord, said recently that issue of
substandard phones in Nigeria had become a ‘big
monster that has become difficult to tame’.
Rutherfoord added that the firm was, however,
collaborating with the mobile service providers
and relevant agencies to curb the menace.
He also said that Nokia would step up campaign
aimed at educating its customers.

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