A phone that was bought cheaply from an unfamiliar dealer and arrived with little or no documentation could soon face a major test in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has begun implementing a new Device Management System, DMS, aimed at checking whether SIM enabled phones and other communications devices being imported, sold and used in the country meet the Commission’s Type Approval requirements.
The move does not mean the NCC is concerned about the contents of the device. Rather, the focus is on ensuring that the devices themselves have been properly approved and meet the required regulatory standards.
Under the new system, devices that are not duly registered or fail to meet the necessary requirements could eventually be prevented from connecting to Nigerian mobile networks.
This means some phones and other SIM enabled devices may lose network access as the DMS becomes fully operational. However, the implementation is being carried out in stages, with the NCC first focusing on devices already in the market and those being brought into the country.
At the centre of the new system is a Central Equipment Identity Register, CEIR, which will keep a record of the International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI, numbers of SIM enabled devices. The system is expected to give the Commission greater visibility over devices operating on Nigerian networks.
The NCC said the first phase involves registering and authenticating devices already held in stock, while ensuring that new devices imported into Nigeria are properly captured and approved.
The Commission is working with the Nigeria Customs Service, original equipment manufacturers, importers and relevant market associations as part of the implementation.
The new system is also expected to make it easier to identify devices that should not be operating on Nigerian networks, including illegally imported and non compliant phones.
Beyond Type Approval enforcement, the DMS will provide a system for identifying and blocking stolen devices, preventing them from continuing to operate across Nigerian mobile networks.
For consumers, the development means that buying a phone from an unknown or unofficial source could carry greater risks. Devices that do not meet the required regulatory standards may eventually be unable to access mobile network services in Nigeria.
