Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Revenue Assurance System commissioned

Zimbabwe today commissioned the Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Revenue Assurance System (TTMS) to augment the smooth sail of the critical role played by the Postal and  Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).

In his keynote address, while commissioning the TTMS, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, said the system is a civil regulatory tool that enables the Government through POTRAZ to ensure full accountability in the provision of public telecommunication services.

“Pursuant to this key objective, the Government mandated POTRAZ to establish a system that measures International incoming and outgoing (Inbound & Outbound) telecommunication traffic and ensures full accountability of the same. The envisaged system would also measure National Interconnection Traffic, also referred to as off-net traffic. Government is therefore pleased to note that POTRAZ has managed to follow through with this mandate by engaging a reputable Partner Global Voice Group (GVG) to develop a solution that meets if not exceeds, our expectations. As we understand GVG has vast experience in the area of revenue assurance – having deployed similar systems in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ghana among other countries.

“As I have observed on my Tour of the National Operations Centre (NOC), POTRAZ has been afforded full visibility of International and National interconnection traffic flows. I do believe POTRAZ is now standing on a firm pedestal to independently verify traffic volumes and the revenues therefrom. The system will also assist the Authority in dealing with disputes on national interconnection, should they arise,” Dr. Muswere said.

He revealed that accurate statistics are key for informed decision-making and policy formulation. As the adage goes “If you cannot Measure It, You Can Not Make It Grow” the TTMS provides Government with the capability to measure and compute various statistics on both domestic and international telecommunication traffic.

Dr. Muswere said the Government will leverage this capability in coming up with growth-oriented policies and in ensuring that No-One Is Left Behind, adding that the country’s submissions to the ITU will also be based on accurate, relevant, and credible data and national statistics.

With the rampant cybercrime across all sectors including the Telecommunication Sector, the TTMS system will assist in combatting telecommunication fraud perpetrated through traffic refiling and the use of grey routes or illegal gateways in the conveyancing of international traffic. The fraudulent traffic ends up being refiled into public networks through SIM BOXES or illegal gateway, therefore, prejudicing the Operators and Economy of the much-needed foreign currency earnings.

The TTMS incorporates a Fraud Management Module which enables the Authority to detect fraudulent telecommunication traffic and track down perpetrators of such crime.

.”Without a robust system in the ICT sector, the sector was prone to manipulation and leakages. POTRAZ plays a pivotal role in supporting the Smart Zimbabwe 2030 Masterplan together with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are all tailored to expedite and guarantee the achievement of Vision 2030,” Dr. Muswere added.

Dr. Gift Machengete, the POTRAZ Director-General applauded the initiative and said through it, the nation joins numerous other jurisdictions that have implemented this progressive system.

“This commissioning facilitates the implementation of a cutting-edge technology-based system that will effectively monitor telecommunication traffic and provide accurate real-time data collection. This will give the Authority better visibility of market dynamics which is essential for effective, efficient, and forward-looking regulation.

“Until now, POTRAZ has relied on a self-declaratory regime, where operators declare their own revenues. However, the information and statements provided by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have the potential of being inaccurate, which means the nation may actually be prejudiced of revenue. The sheer potential of declarations by operators being inaccurate also undermines the regulator’s oversight ability,” Dr. Machengete said.

Dr. Machengete revealed that the Authority has been implementing some regulatory tools to ensure the accuracy of declarations. However, he said the only full-proof tool is the TTMS which ensures the regulator has sufficient visibility of the sector, hence its implementation.

“One major issue of concern in countries that lack sufficient visibility in the telecommunications sector is that grey markets tend to grow rapidly. Each year, billions of dollars in fees and taxes across the world are lost due to the illegal termination of international calls that bypass the international gateways of licensed operators.

These illegal international calls are fraudulently terminated as local calls, using SIM boxes, PBX, and Internet-based methods. Telco’s try to cope with this grey telephony issue individually, some with more success than others, but with limited results overall,” Dr. Machengete said.

The Sub-Saharan region is among the most affected by Sim Box fraud globally. According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), since 2010, for example, Ghana has lost more than $100 million as a result of fraudulent SIM boxes. According to the Nigerian Regulator (NCC), Nigeria is losing around $60 million each year due to SIM boxing, call masking, and refilling.

“The TTMS is a highly advanced regulatory tool, which puts POTRAZ in a better position to combat such network fraud in addition to enforcing billing integrity and revenue assurance. The use of the TTMS is, therefore, highly beneficial to operators, consumers, and the government alike, hence our excitement to have it commissioned Finally!” Dr. Machengete added.