The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that broadcast and some select services have been excluded from its mandatory type approval, a clearance scheme for mobile handsets and other technologies that connect into the nation’s telecoms networks, because they are out of the telecoms regulator’s “authority.”
The telecoms regulator, which recently released the updated list of 2,269 handsets that have been cleared by the telecoms regulator, has outlined three key services that are not covered by the NCC type approval requirements.
The initial version of the Type Approval Standards, NCC says, excludes equipment specifically for “services that are currently outside the scope of the Commission’s authority under the Act (such as broadcasting).”
Under the scheme, technology companies will pay type approval fees ranging from ₦2,791,296.00 per telephone handset and mobile phone to ₦31,014,400.00 for a switching exchange.
The exclusion extends to “services that are thought unlikely to be provided in Nigeria (such as Public Access Mobile Radio and Integrated Services Digital Networks).”
NCC also says that services that are obsolete in Nigeria, such as analogue mobile telephony are also excluded from the type approval requirement.
According to NCC, “all equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must therefore ensure that their equipment conform to the applicable standards as mandated by the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria.”
The telecoms regulator which unfolded the type approval fee structure on its website says that type approval fee for equipment variants are 20% of the fee that applies to the family/series.
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Under the scheme, technology companies will pay type approval fees ranging from ₦2,791,296.00 per telephone handset and mobile phone to ₦31,014,400.00 for a switching exchange.
“Notwithstanding the above fee schedule, administrative procedure (if applicable) i.e. Foreign Verification exercise, for example, may lead to a different cumulative type approval fee,” NCC says on its website.
The telecoms regulator said it “is empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment”.To ensure maximum interoperability and affordability for consumers, the telecoms regulator says that the Type Approval standards set by NCC are based on international standards from; The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and its International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
NCC says that these standards have been chosen not only because “they represent international practices as developed in many countries” but also because “Nigeria adopts practices predominantly like those adopted in Europe (for example, by being in ITU World Region 1 for spectrum allocation and by using GSM very extensively).”
The ETSI standards incorporate a layered structure that allows different concerns (such as electromagnetic compatibility and physical interoperability) to be analysed separately, according to NCC.
Listed: NCC Type Approval Fees
| # | Equipment Class | Price (₦)✱ | Price ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telephone Handset/Mobile Phone | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 2 | WLAN Access Point (Base) | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 3 | Bluetooth Module (Embedded, Integrated) | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 4 | Modem | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 5 | Customer Premise Equipment (CPE-Indoor) | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 6 | WLAN Module/ Card | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 7 | Wireless Router | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 8 | Fixed Wireless Desktop Phone | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 9 | Sensors of Internet of Things (IoT) Devices | 2,749,500.00 | 1,800.00 |
| 10 | iPad/Tablet | 3,818,750.00 | 2,500.00 |
| 11 | WLAN Access Point (Outdoor) | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 12 | An Integrated System e.g. A laptop with Bluetooth Module and WLAN Module | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 13 | Enterprise Router, Enterprise Gateway Equipment | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 14 | Radio Base Station (CDMA & GSM) | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 15 | Baseband Unit (BBU) | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 16 | Remote Radio Unit (RRU) | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 17 | Trunking Radio (Base Station) | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 18 | WIMAX Base Station | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 19 | Point to Multi-point Radio | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 20 | Point to Multi-point CPE | 5,346,250.00 | 3,500.00 |
| 21 | Point to Point Radio | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 22 | Microwave Radio (ODU) | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 23 | Microwave Radio (IDU) | 10,692,500.00 | 7,000.00 |
| 24 | Switching Exchange | 30,550,000.00 | 20,000.00 |
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