Togo's telecommunications regulator, ARCEP, has launched a tender to equip an expanded laboratory that will test wireless devices for compliance with technical standards and measure electromagnetic emissions from telecom infrastructure.
The project will expand ARCEP’s existing laboratory for radiofrequency (RF) equipment testing and specific absorption rate (SAR) measurements. The selected contractor will supply, install and commission the additional equipment.
The investment comes as the growing use of mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers and other connected devices increases demand for equipment testing. Telecommunications networks, including cell towers, are also expanding, creating a greater need to monitor compliance with technical and safety standards.
Type approval verifies that a device meets technical standards before it can be sold or used on telecommunications networks. Poorly designed or substandard devices can pose electrical hazards, cause electromagnetic interference or disrupt communications networks.
SAR testing measures the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the human body from a wireless device under specified conditions. The measurements help determine whether devices comply with regulatory exposure limits.
Monitoring Electromagnetic Emissions
Beyond testing individual devices, ARCEP plans to strengthen monitoring of emissions from telecommunications infrastructure. Radiofrequencies are used for mobile communications, Wi-Fi, radio broadcasting and other wireless services. The regulator wants to ensure that public exposure to electromagnetic fields remains within established limits.
The inspections will check whether emissions around cell towers and other radio installations remain below exposure limits. They could also help address residents' concerns about telecommunications infrastructure near homes, schools and healthcare facilities.
In 2024, ARCEP reported collecting and analyzing 1,342,250 measurements from fixed monitoring stations. According to the regulator, none exceeded the reference level of 28 volts per meter (V/m) cited in its report. Monitoring sites included several locations in Lomé, among them Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport, Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital, the Port of Lomé and ARCEP's headquarters.
Tightening Oversight of the Equipment Market
The laboratory expansion is expected to allow ARCEP to carry out more extensive checks on electronic devices entering the Togolese market and electromagnetic emissions from telecommunications installations.
Importers and distributors must obtain the required approvals before selling regulated equipment. Telecom operators, meanwhile, are subject to rules governing emissions from their network infrastructure.
Stricter testing could also help keep noncompliant equipment off the market and give importers, distributors and telecom operators clearer standards to follow as wireless networks expand. The project would strengthen ARCEP's ability to enforce those standards while supporting the continued development of Togo's telecommunications sector.
Esaïe Edoh