However much you invest in owning a phone, using it for phone calls and entertaining yourself, the one fact that stands is that accessing any of the services comes at the expense of your privacy.
It might not be as direct as knowing whatever you are communicating, it is however easy to trace and track each and every phone call you make, from whichever part of the country – as long as you use telecom services within the boundaries.
How are phone calls traced and tracked?
Basically, a telecom network is built on a cell site. A cell typically consists of the base station sub-system (BSS), which comprises of an antenna and the base station transceiver – the box you see accompanying a telecom mast at the bottom.
Every mast is erected to serve a cell site or location and is identified by a unique number. When you dial a number to make a call, the base station sub-system near your mobile phone picks up the signal and forwards it to the nearest Mobile Switching Center (MSC).
The MSC then searches for the last cell site location of the called number (MSISDN) within its cluster of managed cell sites. If it is not found, the call is effectively forwarded to the next MSC to do the same. If the called number is located, a signal will be sent to the cell site and forwarded to the called phone that will in turn ring.
You will notice that a call can only be made if the signal goes from the originating cell tower or mast to the called MSISDN cell tower. And because each tower serves a specific cell or location, tracking by location is made possible.
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Each telecom service provider is required by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to install an Intelligence Network Monitoring System (INMS) which assists in verifying network data, checking performance and quality, and capturing customer experience records and statistics.
The system was brought in last year to also monitor revenue from telecoms as well as to scan and battle against cyber crimes.
