Obtain approval to avoid sanction, FG advises frequency users

The permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr. Musa Istifanus, has advised private and public entities that use the radio frequency spectrum or operate radio-communications equipment without government’s permission to regularise their operations by obtaining authorisation to avoid sanctions and/or prosecution.

He gave the advice at a virtual/physical sensitisation workshop titled Implications of Irregular and Illegal use of Radio Frequency in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

Istifanus, who was represented by technical assistant to the minister, Engr. Dr. Patrick Oghuma, said members of the public, private companies and organisations were advised to cooperate with ministry’s officials on regular routine inspection duties in order to curb incidences of irregular and illegal use of radio frequency spectrum and operation of radio-communication equipment without authorisation.

“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,” he said.

In his presentation, the Director (Radio Monitoring System), Engr. Kilyobas Binga, said the ministry has five radio monitoring centres in the South-west, North-west, South-south, and Abuja, while six monitoring centres would be cited in the South- east for efficient and effective monitoring of the entire radio frequency space of 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 the 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.

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