THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
TANZANIA COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Press Release

The Tanzania Communications Commission July 1 Sunday warned that individuals or companies in possession of unlicensed and non type approved wireless access radio communication equipment face legal action.

The Commission's Director General Col. Abihudi Nalingigwa said that after Friday July 6 this year they would launch a nation-wide crackdown on those in possession of unlicensed and non type approved wireless access radio communication equipment.

He said unlicensed operators were interfering with licensed operations in the C- Band, between 3.7 and 4.2 Gigahertz (GHz) and this was harmful.

"We would like to draw the attention of Telecommunication network operators, Radio communication operators, Public and Private Data communication network operators, Importers of Radio and Telecommunication equipment, users of wireless telecommunications equipment and the general public at large, that there is a serious harmful interference being registered in the C-band (3.7-4.2 GHz) slot of the radio frequency spectrum", he said.

Col Nalingigwa explained that Preliminary monitoring had indicated that the interference originates from Internet wireless connection equipment operating in the said band.

"Therefore all parties operating in the said band are hereby ordered to stop immediately", he added.

He directed those possessing unlicenced and non type approved wireless access radio communication equipment, to regularise existing radio licencing procedures to formally submit their applications for radio communication licence to the Commission.

He said during the proposed crackdown,legal proceedings, including confiscation of the equipment will be taken against those found not to have complied with regulatory requirements.

The C- band frequency slot is mainly used by data communications companies and international banks. Data Communications operators licensed by the The Tanzania Communications Commission are:
Wilken Afsat Tanzania Limited, Datel Tanzania Limited, Equant Tanzania Limited, Simbanet Tanzania Limited, Soft Tech Tanzania limited and FAST COM Africa Limited.

The Tanzania Communications Commission has acquired a state of the art mobile frequency monitoring unit to detect frequency interference in order to ensure that national frequencies are utilised efficiently.

Ends:

Mruma/Dar/july 1. Sunday

 

2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ATU ADMINISTRATIVE
COUNCIL, NAIROBI, KENYA, 23 - 27 APRIL 2001
NAIROBI SAFARI CLUB