Type Approval Overview
PURA has within its remit the responsibility of type approving and accepting all telecommunications equipment intended to work within the public telecommunications networks in the country. It is also responsible for type approving or accepting radio communication equipment intended for use in The Gambia.
Who Needs to Seek Type Approval
Only duly registered vendors within the liberalized telecommunications market in The Gambia can market terminal equipment. They must, however, first obtain type approval from the Authority for each model of equipment they intend to market prior to offering the equipment for sale in the market. Type approval is not required if the model has previously been type approved for marketing by another vendor, but are renewable every two years.
The Authority shall not grant type approval to the equipment manufacturer unless they are registered as terminal equipment vendors after fulfilling the mandatory licensing requirements.
Individuals who procure terminals of models that have already been granted type approval for marketing are not required to seek further type approval.
Individuals are, therefore, advised to ensure that any vendor offering them terminal equipment for sale first produces documentary proof that the model is type approved by the Authority.
Equipment That Requires Type Approval
All telecommunications terminal and radio communications equipment intended to send, process or receive information within the public telecommunications network is subject to type approval by the Authority.
The system of interconnection may be wire, radio and optical, or other electromagnetic systems. Examples of the said terminal equipment including but not limited to:
Telecommunications Equipment | Radio Communication Equipment |
Telephones (ordinary, executive, secretarial sets). | Citizen band |
Cordless telephones | Amateur band |
Telephone answering and recording systems | HF Radios |
Cellular telephones (GSM, ETACS etc.) | VHF Radios |
Payphones (coin and card operated) | UHF Radios |
Call monitoring and logging systems | Microwave Equipment |
Subscriber private meters (SPMs) | Radio paging terminals and transmitters |
Facsimile transceivers | Alarm transmitters |
Call routing apparatus | Wireless low range devices |
Public Branch Exchanges (PBXs) | Vehicular wireless equipment |
Key Telephone System (KTS) | Satellite |
Small Business System (SBS) | Telemetry and command modules, etc. |
Multi line systems | |
Voice messaging systems | |
Data and fax modems | |
Multiplexers, packet assemblers disassemblers (PADs) |
