Users of fake mobile phones are said to be spending more on their handsets.

This is because most of the fake mobile devices are made from substandard materials, hence their inability to last long.

Fred Opoku-Asare, a telecoms project management professional who stated this, indicated that “fake phones last only a few months because the batteries sometimes explode and you would have to visit the repairer several times a year. The inscriptions on the keypad rub off easily and you have to replace the casing. In the end, even though they retail cheaper they cost you more.”

Speaking at the quarterly Knowledge Forum organized by the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications in Accra, Mr. Opoku-Asare stated that manufacturers of fake phones do not subject the phones to quality tests so the phones come with substandard materials such as antennas and speakers, which interfere with the quality of calls the subscribers make.

In an interview with CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE, Mr. Opoku-Asare added that “users of fake phones are four times more likely to experience dropped calls, and find it as many times more difficult to initiate a call, according to research conducted in Brazil.”

He therefore cautioned Ghanaians to desist from using fake phones, as they have negative impact on their health and network operators.

They deny governments of revenues as most fake phones are smuggled into the country.

Major Emmanuel Owusu-Adansi (Rtd), Director of Special Projects at the National Communications Authority (NCA), said the authority was concerned about the influx of fake phones and would soon embark on educational campaigns.

“There are relevant laws and appropriate regulations to deal with this phenomenon, but we believe that we should start with public education,” he added.