Simon, a pupil at Abraham Iyambo Senior Secondary in Namibia, said his teachers and friends had sung his praises the entire week and his phone was ringing with calls from many influential companies and the media wanting to speak to him.
In just a few days, Grade 12 pupil Simon Petrus, has become known as “the kid who created the phone that requires no airtime”.
The 20-year-old’s airtime-free phone is nowhere close to conventional cellphones, but does a better job.
The handset uses radio frequencies to make calls via power supplied through a radiator. That’s not all, the phone, made with spare parts from old phones and a television set, allows for charging, recording and listening to music.
Simon said he knew when he started this invention two years ago that it was going to make an impact.
He named the phone Zuma’s NCP (non-creditable phone) and quickly chirps: “I know that is the name of your president. It is also my nickname.
“As long as there is a signal, people can make calls for free to anywhere in Namibia. My friends enjoy making calls and I feel happy to allow them that privilege. We have not tried making calls overseas but I am sure that with enough determination it can be possible.
“The phone requires little network and works through radio waves. It works like a radio with the phone numbers saved in channels. Unfortunately, it cannot fit in my pocket because it is heavy, but, hey, it gets the job done.”
– Sunday Tribune
