No IMEI Number? Your Mobile May Go Kaput Soon

No IMEI Number? Your Mobile May Go Kaput Soon

Techtree News Staff, Jan 14, 2009 1554 hrs IST

Unbranded Chinese handsets do not possess a valid IMEI number; a large majority have spoofed/fictitious ones

While the January 6 deadline for the disconnection of mobile phones sans the mandatory International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number has long passed, cellcos seem to have ignored the diktat from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

According to recent reports, none of the GSM players in India have responded to the notice issued by DoT to bar handsets that do not possess a valid IMEI number from accessing their networks. For the uninitiated, IMEI numbers are exclusive 15 digit codes that help networks to identify handsets. No two mobile phones will have similar IMEI numbers.

There about 25 million unbranded Chinese handsets in use in India that do not possess a valid IMEI number. In fact, a large majority of these handsets either come with no IMEI or have spoofed/fictitious ones. The government directive was to ban all such handsets from accessing networks as the technology to identify cellphones from their IMEI has already been put into place by most networks. Every time your handset makes or receives a call or even if it is simply accessing the network, cellcos can collect information about your phone's IMEI number and track your movements. This also means that if required, the companies can bar a handset from accessing their network if they find the IMEI number missing or if it has a spoofed/fake IMEI number.

Since the directive to ban IMEI-less phones is well past its deadline with no action from the cellcos, DoT has decided to impose penalties on the networks that continue the patronage of such phones. They will be fined on a per day basis, and the amount would be doubled every 15 days. A message informing the cellular operators about this has been sent. Taking a tough stand, DoT has added that companies would be barred from adding further subscribers to their list if they do not meet a new April 15 deadline set by the government to ensure that they can put a system into place that would disallow IMEI-less handsets from gaining access to their networks.

On a slightly offbeat note, it is possible to bar handsets that do not possess a valid IMEI number or a handset with a specific IMEI number that is reported stolen from accessing a network once the cellular companies set up a common Equipment identity Register (EIR). The deadline for the companies to put EIR into place has been extended till April 15th. Most European countries have the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR); calls cannot be made from a barred cellphone once the phone is reported to be stolen or has been tagged for suspicious usage. While, the system was originally conceived for tracking stolen handsets, it has now emerged as a crucial anti-terrorism tool today.

It remains to be seen how the cellular networks react to the new directives issued by the Government.