By Ismail Auwal
No fewer than 100 unauthorised phone signal booster devices were confiscated by the enforcement team of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in a coordinated raid recently carried out across three major markets in Kano, SAHELIAN TIMES has exclusively gathered.
The raid, launched in collaboration with the law enforcement agency in the state in the Kantin Kwari market, Sabon Gari Market, and Singer Market, was part of the Commission’s regulatory efforts to address the declining quality of service (QoS) delivery occasioned by illegal use of phone signal booster’s devices by some businesses in the markets.
A source involved in the enforcement operation told SAHELIAN TIMES that the raid was launched by the Kano Zonal Office of the telecoms regulator, following deluge of complaints by mobile networks operators and telecom consumers on the declining quality of service within the commercial centre.
Telecom subscribers in the market were said to have repeatedly complained to the Commission about increasing difficulties in making seamless calls within the Kantin Kwari market, a major textile market in the city of Kano.
“Upon investigation, we found that, apart from Kantin Kwari market, boosters devices were also fixed in Sabon Gari Market, and Singer Market,” the source said.
Before the enforcement operations, the Commission had written to the leadership of the market, giving a one-week ultimatum within which affected users of phone signal booster devices were asked to remove them from the markets, SAHELIAN TIMES learnt.
“The State Police Command also collaborated with us by providing their men to the Commission for the successful operation. In the end, we were able to confiscate over 100 phone signal booster devices across the three markets.”
It was learnt that unauthorised use of phone signal/network booster devices is a criminal offence under Section 16 of the Nigerian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 2004.
Explaining the reason for this, the source said their usage, without being licensed by the telecom regulator, has the capacity to degrade network quality for the general public.
The source added that the Commission will not condom any action by and any individual or a business entity which amounts to flagrant violation of this law in their quest to boost services in their residential and commercial places to the detriment of the general public.
“Accordingly, mechanisms have been emplaced by the Commission to regularly monitor the trends across the market and ensure that anyone caught using phone signal boosters without obtaining approval of a duly-licensed network operator is made to face arrest and prosecution,” the source said.
A cell phone signal booster also known as an amplifier or a cell phone reception booster is generally a repeater system that involves the amplifier adding gain or power to the reception in various directions.
The main aim of the cellular phone signal booster is to take the existing cell phone signal around your car, office, workstation or home and amplify it, after which the amplified signal is rebroadcast to the area with no reception or weak signal.
The use of a phone signal booster without authorisation by the telecoms regulator or knowledge of a licensed service provider is an unlawful practice which has an adverse effect on the general quality of service delivery to the generality of people in the affected area.
