Potraz launches traffic monitoring system

Ivan Zhakata and Michael Tome

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) yesterday launched a telecommunications site visitors checking and income assurance process so as to make certain full accountability in the provision of community telecommunication companies.

The procedure is a really innovative regulatory software, which permits the Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe to combat community fraud, implement billing integrity and earnings assurance, and deal with disputes on countrywide interconnections, must they crop up.

But it simply cannot look at the precise material of what is carried by the channels, only exactly where the targeted visitors comes from and goes and who is paying for what.

Talking at the launch, Info Conversation Engineering, Postal and Courier Solutions Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said the process would be in a position to evaluate national interconnection website traffic, also referred to as off-internet site visitors.

Minister Muswere claimed the system gives the Federal government the capacity to evaluate and compute several stats on the two domestic and worldwide telecommunication website traffic.

“Government is happy that the system will support in combating telecommunication fraud perpetrated through visitors refiling and the use of grey routes or unlawful gateways in the conveyancing of international traffic,” he explained.

“The fraudulent website traffic finishes up becoming refiled into general public networks by means of sim containers or illegal gateways consequently prejudicing the operators and the financial system of the much desired international currency earnings. Full visibility of the sector, precise data, accountability, and elimination of fraud are key things for the progress of the ICT sector in Zimbabwe.

“It is therefore my regarded as check out that the implementation of the telecommunications traffic checking and profits assurance system was overdue as the sector forms just one of the important pillars in stimulating financial growth and progress in the direction of achievement of vision 2030. Without the need of a robust method in the ICT sector, the sector was inclined to manipulation and leakages.”

Minister Muswere mentioned Potraz played a pivotal function in supporting the Sensible Zimbabwe 2030 Grasp Strategy with each other with the Sustainable Enhancement Targets which ended up all tailored to expedite and guarantee the accomplishment of Vision 2030.

Govt was committed to making certain expansion in the sector and would proceed to enjoy its oversight part as very well as offering a ahead on the lookout and adaptable policy setting for the ICT sector.

The committee applying the new procedure includes Potraz, the ICT Ministry, Lawyer General’s Office, Ministry of Finance and Financial Advancement, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Fee, the Ministry liable for defense of own information and the operators of telecommunications networks. It experienced the essential part of providing oversight on the procedure of the telecommunications traffic monitoring and earnings assurance system and in making certain the protection of particular facts and information.

“It should be underlined at this level that the telecommunications targeted visitors checking and income assurance technique does not have the capacity to watch articles and dialogue. The method is confined to interacting with the signaling section of the community and does not access visitors channels,” Minister Muswere reported.

Potraz director general Dr Reward Machengete explained the regulator had been reliant on mobile network operators’ self-declaratory regime, in which operators declare their own revenues.

He claimed the information and facts and statements previously furnished by operators experienced the possible of currently being inaccurate hence perhaps prejudicing the country of income.

“This commissioning facilitates the implementation of a cutting-edge technology-primarily based method that will correctly watch telecommunication site visitors and offer exact actual-time knowledge assortment. This will give the authority much better visibility of market place dynamics which is essential for productive, efficient and forward hunting regulation,” mentioned Dr Machengete.