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)