MUSCAT -- The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has introduced new labelling guidelines for telecom equipment, aimed to curbing the import of counterfeit and substandard equipment into the local market. The new guidelines were issued on June 23, but will be strictly enforced before the end of this year after a six-month "grace period" to allow for dealers to embrace the new labelling guidelines.
"The labelling guidelines are aimed at combating the flood of unauthorised mobile phone handsets and other types of telecom equipment now entering the Omani consumer market, thereby ensuring that consumers do not purchase any substandard equipment that could cause any hazard or threat to the users," said a TRA official. "With the new labelling scheme, consumers will not only be able to make informed decisions when they set out to purchase any handset or telecom equipment, but will facilitate our inspectors to distinguish between authorised and unauthorised equipments sold in the Omani market," the official told the Observer.
Under the new guidelines, all authorised imports of handsets and other telecom equipment must mandatorily feature a special label with the legend 'OMAN-TRA' affixed on them. The label must also feature a unique Type Approval Number and Dealer Number specially allocated by the TRA against authorised equipment imports. The labels must be printed (not affixed with adhesive) on the equipment itself, as well as on the 'User Guide' and the packing.
Equipment imports sold without the TRA label will be considered as a violation of the Telecom Regulatory Act, and their distributors subject to legal procedures. According to the TRA official, the labelling scheme was introduced after a public consultation on the subject held by the TRA last year. Draft guidelines published by the regulator elicited important feedback from all stakeholders, including telecom equipment manufacturers, importers, consumers, and industry experts.
"Based on the feedback received from the stakeholders, the draft labelling scheme was revised and the final guidelines were issued in June. Over the next six months, the TRA will be working to spread awareness about this scheme, with actual enforcement by the end of this year," the TRA official said. Significantly, the new labelling guidelines apply to all telecom equipment approved by the TRA under the 'Equipment Approval Scheme'. Accordingly, coverage typically extends to mobile and fixed line handsets, faxes, radio equipment and modems, among other items.
Not included, however, is equipment used for automotive applications, items already fitted on imported vehicles, modules and interface cards that have been already fitted in their housings before their import into Oman, and all network equipment imported for installation within public licensed telecom networks. TRA approved telecom equipment that had been imported into Oman prior to the introduction of the labelling norms will be exempted from the labelling scheme up to June 30, 2011, the TRA official said. Interim labels may be used by the importer for affixing on any approved equipment that may remain unsold beyond this deadline, the official noted.
Importantly, the new guidelines will help the regulator crackdown against counterfeits and unsafe goods that have been sold in the market in recent years. Substandard equipment and imitations not only pose a safety risk to consumers, but they also potentially undermine the integrity of telecom services. "Before granting type approval for any equipment, the TRA has a checklist of minimum standards that the item must meet. In addition to some safety concerns that must be checked, there are also standards for electromagnetic radiation, compatibility with the telecom networks, and so on, that are carefully examined. The TRA's standards are broadly modeled on European standards for telecom equipment," the TRA official explained.
The official further added: "When the labelling scheme is fully implemented, consumers have the assurance that the handsets and equipment they buy from the local market meet the minimum standards required. The labels are uniquely designed to identify the type of equipment and authorised dealer, thereby making it possible to distinguish between the type approved products and the non-approved ones."
By Conrad Prabhu
© Oman Daily Observer 2010
