The Department of Telecommunications is planning punitive action for mobile phone service providers which have violated the government order on disconnecting handsets without IMEI numbers.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning punitive action for mobile phone service providers which have violated the government order on disconnecting handsets without IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) numbers. DoT had asked operators to disconnect such handsets by January 6, but not many have adhered so far.
The government measure, though taken in the interest of national security, is coming up for criticism. One of the reasons for criticism is that mobile phone subscribers have not heard from the service providers on the issue. No notice of any kind has been given to subscribers with handsets without IMEI number.
A technology enthusiast pointed out that if there is no international agreement or established standard on the use of IMEI, it’s doubtful how any Indian law on the use of IMEI can be enforced. There are suggestions across blogs that such law on the basis of IMEI could be constitutionally challenged.
It is learnt that internationally, the linkage between regulatory approval and IMEI allocation was removed in April 2000.
Many countries across the world use the IMEI number to curb phone theft. But, Singapore is among the countries not required by the regulator to implement phone blocking or tracing systems, whether IMEI-based or any other. The regulator there has expressed its doubts on the real effectiveness of this kind of system.
At present, there are about 25 million in India with non-branded handsets bought from the grey market, most of them Chinese. The number of handsets without IMEI number could not be ascertained. The IMEI number is used to identify mobile calls. Handsets without such numbers could be used for terrorist activities, the Indian authorities feel.
The telecom industry is still in discussion with the government for use of a software that could help track down handsets even without IMEI numbers. Such a software would help consumers using non-branded handsets, as they would be able to retain their phones.
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