Telecommunications Law and Policy to Protect Subscriberss of Mobile Phones in Africa

Abstract

The mobile telephone alternatively referred to as mobile handset, has immense advantages over the traditional land line telephone in that it enables the user to traverse wherever he desires, and yet able to communicate with others either for purposes of transacting businesses or as a means of effecting social interactions, but notwithstanding the apparent advantages of mobile phones, like every coin having two sides, its use has demerits which as a matter of necessity, calls for regulatory measures to protect the subscribers; unfortunately, this is not the case in most African countries, for example, Nigeria reputed for the highest population in Africa ditto the highest number of mobile telephone subscribers in addition to being the biggest economy in the continent, does not have in place, law and policy specifically aimed at protecting or promoting the interest of its subscribers. The usage of mobile phones has assumed phenomenal increase recently; it is the norm rather than the exception in Africa but with the unfortunate trend of dearth of legal and regulatory measures. This Article deals with the legal and regulatory framework pertaining to mobile phones and examines issues relating to or consequences generated thereof. The paper argues that the extant legal and regulatory framework in Africa is not in the best interest of subscribers, and calls for a paradigm shift towards taking into cognizance the said interest of subscribers by governments with the view to putting in place, legal and regulatory precepts simply because the manufacturers of mobile phones and telephony companies, wherever they are situate or operate from, need and rely on the profits generated from African countries.