The Herald
Ivan Zhakata and Michael Tome
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) yesterday launched a telecommunications targeted visitors monitoring and revenue assurance program so as to make sure whole accountability in the provision of public telecommunication services.
The process is a highly superior regulatory device, which allows the Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe to battle network fraud, implement billing integrity and earnings assurance, and deal with disputes on national interconnections, should really they crop up.
But it cannot look at the precise content of what is carried by the channels, only exactly where the targeted traffic will come from and goes and who is paying out for what.
Talking at the launch, Details Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Companies Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, stated the program would be able to evaluate nationwide interconnection targeted traffic, also referred to as off-internet site visitors.
Minister Muswere stated the procedure offers the Authorities the capability to measure and compute a variety of stats on both domestic and intercontinental telecommunication targeted traffic.
“Government is pleased that the process will aid in combating telecommunication fraud perpetrated as a result of traffic refiling and the use of gray routes or illegal gateways in the conveyancing of intercontinental site visitors,” he said.
“The fraudulent targeted visitors ends up getting refiled into general public networks as a result of sim containers or unlawful gateways therefore prejudicing the operators and the economic climate of the a great deal required foreign currency earnings. Complete visibility of the sector, exact statistics, accountability, and elimination of fraud are essential aspects for the progress of the ICT sector in Zimbabwe.
“It is consequently my considered see that the implementation of the telecommunications visitors monitoring and revenue assurance technique was overdue as the sector forms a single of the main pillars in stimulating financial progress and progress in direction of accomplishment of eyesight 2030. With no a strong process in the ICT sector, the sector was vulnerable to manipulation and leakages.”
Minister Muswere claimed Potraz performed a pivotal purpose in supporting the Wise Zimbabwe 2030 Master Plan with each other with the Sustainable Advancement Goals which ended up all personalized to expedite and guarantee the accomplishment of Vision 2030.
Federal government was fully commited to guaranteeing expansion in the sector and would proceed to engage in its oversight position as properly as delivering a forward looking and adaptable plan surroundings for the ICT sector.
The committee utilizing the new procedure includes Potraz, the ICT Ministry, Lawyer General’s Business office, Ministry of Finance and Economic Improvement, the Zimbabwe Human Legal rights Commission, the Ministry accountable for safety of own data and the operators of telecommunications networks. It experienced the important function of furnishing oversight on the operation of the telecommunications site visitors checking and income assurance technique and in guaranteeing the safety of individual info and info.
“It will have to be underlined at this stage that the telecommunications visitors monitoring and revenue assurance process does not have the capacity to observe written content and dialogue. The procedure is limited to interacting with the signaling segment of the community and does not access traffic channels,” Minister Muswere claimed.
Potraz director standard Dr Gift Machengete stated the regulator experienced been reliant on mobile network operators’ self-declaratory routine, exactly where operators declare their have revenues.
He claimed the info and statements previously furnished by operators had the likely of staying inaccurate as a result likely prejudicing the nation of profits.
“This commissioning facilitates the implementation of a chopping-edge engineering-based mostly method that will correctly watch telecommunication site visitors and deliver accurate true-time knowledge selection. This will give the authority much better visibility of sector dynamics which is necessary for effective, productive and forward looking regulation,” claimed Dr Machengete.