Communications and Information Technology Commission Issues Customs Clearance Approvals for More Than 31 Million Devices by End of 2017, Launches Marine Wireless Device Registration Service

The Communications and Information Technology Commission announced the launch of a marine wireless device registration service, which allows suppliers to import marine wireless devices in commercial quantities, whereby these devices are registered by the suppliers and the necessary licenses obtained for them at the point of sale. This service will help facilitate and speed up the customs clearance of marine wireless devices, help ensure the availability of multiple options for such devices in the Kingdom's markets, and facilitate the maintenance work required for them.

The Commission said that this service is added to a number of services it provides related to telecommunications and IT devices, such as issuing device clearance permits, device certification, and issuing certificates of conformity with its technical specifications, noting that it had launched, in 2014, the electronic Telecommunications and IT Device Licensing Portal integrated with the General Authority of Customs, enabling suppliers to submit customs clearance permit applications through it and then send approvals to the General Authority of Customs electronically.

It is worth noting that the total number of restricted telecommunications and IT devices for which clearance approval was issued by the Communications and Information Technology Commission via the electronic Telecommunications and IT Device Licensing Portal in 2017 exceeded 31 million devices.