NatCA Gets Advanced Equipment to Boost Telecom Quality in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone’s National Communications Authority (NatCA) has officially received state-of-the-art monitoring and testing equipment designed to detect radio signal interference, uncover unauthorized frequency usage, and significantly enhance the quality of telecommunications services nationwide.
The equipment was formally handed over by the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation at the NatCA Tower in IMATT, Freetown. The initiative was funded by the World Bank under the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project (SLDTP).
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Salima Monorma Bah highlighted the critical security role of the new technology. She linked the investment to ongoing efforts to curb illegal spectrum activity, referencing a recent joint security operation on October 27 that led to 18 arrests and the detention of nearly 400 individuals in Freetown and Kenema tied to an international cybercrime ring.
"This equipment provides authorities with the precise tools needed to monitor the radio frequency spectrum and identify unauthorized transmissions in real time," Bah stated.
Radio spectrum is vital for powering daily mobile communication, internet access, broadcasting, and digital financial transactions. SLDTP Project Coordinator Kumba Liliana Musa emphasized that effective management is increasingly crucial as demand surges with modern technologies like 5G.
NatCA’s Director of Engineering and Infrastructure, Ing. Sahr Momodu Sewa, presented the new suite of tools. The assets include mobile spectrum monitoring units, a digital spectrum management system, quality-of-service drive-testing gear, broadcast signal analyzers, and electromagnetic field meters.
According to Sewa, mobile monitoring units will deploy field engineers to track illegal transmissions and safeguard international distress frequencies used by aviation pilots.
Additionally, the new drive-testing units will evaluate mobile network coverage, voice call stability, and data performance across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G connections, as well as benchmark popular services such as WhatsApp and YouTube.
In his keynote address, Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh stressed the importance of converting national policy into tangible public benefits, noting that independent monitoring will hold service providers accountable and ensure reliable connectivity across rural communities.
NatCA Director General Amara Brewah added that empirical data gathered from the equipment will mandate operators to resolve network deficiencies quickly, urging continued cooperation from commercial telecom vendors.
Alongside the equipment delivery, the World Bank project supported an institutional assessment of NatCA to build long-term staff capacity and ensure sustainable equipment maintenance.
The event formed part of NatCA's 20th anniversary celebrations, culminating in a guided tour led by Chief Minister Sengeh through the agency's data center and primary spectrum control room.
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