1 million fake phones have been switched of in Kenya.By switching off the fake phones,Communications Commissions of Kenya (CCK) will be in compliance with the Kenya Information and Communications Regulations 2012, which requires all mobile phones to be approved.
One million fake mobile handsets had been switched off on Monday when the exercise begun.
CCK says the number of the fake handsets maybe less than earlier estimate of 2.5 million, adding that many Kenyans have already replaced the handsets with
original ones.
“We will issue a statement on the exact number and give a brief about the whole exercise. But we are happy everything is going on well,” CCK acting Director General Francis Wangusi said.
The switch-off, which also targets unregistered sim cards, is expected to affect the mobile phone money transfer services, resulting in loss of revenue and inconvenience to users.
Wangusi said Airtel had disconnected 740,000 handsets from its network, Safaricom 680,000, while Orange had blocked 75,000 handsets. yuMobile had not handed its data to the regulator by Monday afternoon, according to Kenya-based radio Capital FM.
Wangusi explained that the switch-off was to happen gradually to avoid technical hitches on the operators’ end.
The operators, Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom and Yu, and industry regulator Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) had pledged to rid the industry and Kenya of fake mobile handsets by Sept. 30 deadline.