No time extension to mobile ‘fakes’ switch-off date

KATARE MBASHIRU

THE government will not extend time for shutting down all counterfeit electronic equipment come June 16, 2016, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Professor Makame Mbarawa, has warned.

To this effect, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) plans to proceed with the nationwide switch-off of counterfeit mobile phones and other electronic equipment beginning at the stroke of the First Hour on June 16.

Prof Mbarawa said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that if anyone thinks that the government will extend time for the counterfeit goods switch-off, “then they would be in for a shock’’.

Speaking at the launch of the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL)’s 4G Long Term Evolution technologies (LTE) and the company’s new Logo, the minister said that TCRA would later issue directives on the management of waste products.

“There are regulations on the management of e-waste products and TCRA will issue directives before shutting down of the counterfeit products, he said, when asked where people should dump the counterfeit phones after the switch-off.

TTCL yesterday announced the launch of its superfast communication networks 4G LTE service in the country as part of strategic business plan 2016- 2018, which aims at improving and bringing products in the market by capitalising on technological advancement to provide quality services to customers, according to the stateowned mobile company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Kamugisha Kazaura.

“The management and stakeholders thought that it was equally important to change the company’s identity (Corporate Identity) by establishing a new logo so as to enable TTCL to successfully compete in the telecommunication business,’’ said Dr Kazaura. With the 4G LTE, the consumer can download big files (movies, work related documents) or applications as well as playing interactive games online.

The 4G LTE network provide faster internet speed to surf and download content, in making uninterrupted Skype calls. The 4G LTE significantly enhances the customer experience in video streaming in high definition.

To ensure that the quality of service was guaranteed, Professor Mbarawa pledged to provide to TTCL with 800 MHz of frequencies that he said would help the state-owned company to ensure that the quality of service was high compared to other mobile phone service providers. The 800 MHz frequency is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that encompasses 790–862 MHz.