Namibian schoolboy invents cellphone that doesn't use airtime

A Grade 12 learner in Namibia's Ohagwena Region has invented a sim-less mobile phone that does not require airtime to make calls.

According to a New Era report, Simon Petrus, a pupil at Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary School, created the phone using spares from a phone and television set.

Complete with a light bulb, fan and charger socket, the handset functions off power supplied through a radiator and is able to make calls to anywhere through the use of radio frequencies.

The invention, which is made up of a radio system, is attached to a box and also allows the user to view one TV channel on it.

Namibian schoolboy invents cellphone that doesn't use airtime

No stranger to the world of creation, Petrus is reported to have won a gold medal at national level last year for his invention of a two-in-one machine that works as both a seed drier and cooler.

The shy learner has admitted to working on his invention for two years through money provided by his unemployed parents.

Petrus claims that he invented the phone in the hopes that it would be successful and be able to be carried further.

The development marks the latest in a series of innovative projects by students within the southern African nation.

Joshua Nghaamwa, a self-taught inventor, is reported to have created a satellite using parts from radios, cellphones and other electronics, The Namibian reports.

The satellite, believed to strengthen internet connectivity, is small enough to fit in a laptop bag and has a USB port that allows it to be connected to a modem, router or cellphone, increasing internet speed and allows for a better online experience.

Nghaamwa says he wants to introduce the device throughout the African market, so as to boost ICT on the continent.