…Warns stakeholders over use of unauthorized frequency spectrum
By Dele Ogbodo
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technology, has said that out of 300 Radio Frequency Spectrum (RFS) operators monitored across the country, 106 of them operate without licence.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Istifanus, said radio frequency monitoring spectrum reports in the past few months indicate that individuals and some organizations use the radio frequency spectrum and operate radio-communication equipment without due authorization.
According to him, such users could either cause harmful interference to duly licensed users or pose security threat to the nation, because they neither have licence to use the frequencies nor the permission to operate radio-communication equipment.
He acknowledged that the ministry obtained Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval in 2017 to procure state-of-the-art radio spectrum monitoring and denial of service equipment.
He warned users of Radio Frequency Spectrum (RFS) or those who operate radio-communications equipment without government permission to regularize their operations by applying to the Ministry to obtain appropriate authorization to avoid sanctions and/or possible prosecution.
The disclosure was made known during A-2 Day Sensitization Workshop on the implications of irregular and illegal use of radio frequency which held physically and virtually at the Atrium Event Centre, Port Harcourt.
In his speech read by Technical Assistant, Engr. Patrick Oghuma, on behalf of the PS, he advised the public, private companies and organizations to cooperate with ministry’s officials that are on regular routine inspection duties of premises in order to curb incidences of irregular and illegal use of radio frequency spectrum and operation of radio-communication equipment without due authorization.
According to him, the ministry’s enforcement team is also on regular inspection duties of premises that have radio-communications installations, especially those that use walkie-talkie radios to ensure that they are duly authorized to use such radios.
Istifanus pointed out that all licencees of the ministry are expected to fulfill their financial obligations by paying up the annual renewal fees as required by their licence conditions to avoid withdrawal of their licence(s).
He said: “Spectrum monitoring reports in the past few months indicate that individuals and some organizations use the radio frequency spectrum and operate radio-communication equipment without due authorization.
“Out of 300 frequencies that were monitored recently, 106 of them were found to be used without due licence. It should be noted that such users could either cause harmful interference to duly licensed users or pose security threat to the nation, because they neither have licence to use the frequencies nor the permission to operate radio-communication equipment.
“The ministry obtained Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval in 2017 to procure state-of-the-art radio spectrum monitoring and denial of service equipment.”
He said the service equipment is used to monitor the radio frequency spectrum to help in minimizing incidences of harmful interference by radio-communications operators through irregular and illegal use of the scarce radio frequency spectrum resource amongst many other uses and to deny service to those entities that blatantly refuse to obtain licence or fulfil their financial obligations to the Ministry/Government.
In his presentation, the Director (Radio Monitoring System), Engr. Kilyobas Binga, pointed out that the ministry has 5 radio monitoring centres in South West, Northwest, South South, and Abuja and the six monitoring centres would soon be cited in South East for efficient and effective monitoring of the entire radio frequency space of the country.
He added that spectrum monitoring is one of the key elements of a national spectrum management system which support frequency planning, assignment process, licensing and enforcement.
In his contribution, the Deputy Director-General, National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons Control (NATCOM), Prof. Atte Timothy stated that there was frequency jamming which made some people to jam security intelligence and there is need to come out with standing order on how to regulate the use of walking taking equipment in the country.
Earlier, the representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Brigadier General E.O. Agbebaku noted that spectrum management monitoring is one of the key elements of national spectrum management system, adding that the military is ready to collaborate with the ministry to cover the existing gap of distance frequency and resistance to enforcement spectrum rules and regulations.