Angola: geography and layout
Cabinda is an exclave province of Angola, separated from the rest of the country by territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which affects how people and equipment are moved there.
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews on Angola's deepwater FPSOs, the Cabinda and Soyo onshore facilities, Angola LNG and the Luanda refinery. This page sets out how an explosion proof cell phone supply route to Angola will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An explosion proof cell phone for Angola cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Angola: Lower Congo basin, offshore, Kwanza basin, offshore, Luanda | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Angola. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Angola market guide covers.
Cabinda is an exclave province of Angola, separated from the rest of the country by territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which affects how people and equipment are moved there.
Portuguese is Angola's official language, so permits, manuals and safety notices for local crews are normally expected in Portuguese.
The Instituto Angolano das Comunicações, INACOM, is the telecom regulator whose homologation is needed for wireless and telecom equipment sold in Angola.
Angola LNG Limited is owned by Sonangol, Chevron, TotalEnergies and Azule Energy, so the Soyo site combines several shareholders' operating practices.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In Angola. On a deepwater FPSO the phrase explosion proof usually means a flameproof Ex d enclosure that contains an internal explosion. The IS-04Z1 takes a different route, intrinsic safety, which limits energy so a handset can be used on a process deck without a heavy enclosure. Which areas need which concept is decided by the operator's classification.
There is no stock to order for Angola yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, certification is in progress, and supply will run through authorised distributors after the certificates are issued. Procurement teams can prepare now with the datasheet, the certification schedule and a safe-area evaluation.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
The market guide for Angola covers Luanda, Soyo, Zaire province, Cabinda and Malongo, Lobito, Benguela, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Large sites such as Angola LNG have several shareholders and an operating company that sets site HSE rules, which may follow one partner's standards. Confirm which standards and approved-equipment lists the operating company applies before you ship devices to Angola.
A single-train LNG plant typically has liquefaction, gas treatment, propane and butane storage, condensate handling and marine loading areas, all of which are normally classified as hazardous. The operator issues the zone drawings, so request them with the gas group and temperature class before choosing equipment.
It is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 duty, with a target marking of II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, but certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued. Offshore use would depend on the operator's own equipment approval and the schedule of conditions. Confirm with the FPSO operator before any deck use.
Other guides for Angola, other places in Angola, and the pages behind them.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.