The Division of Telecommunications (DoT) has made it obligatory for cell phone producers to register the worldwide cell gear identification (IMEI) — the 15-digit quantity that uniquely identifies every cell machine — of all handsets made in India with the federal government. Importers, too, should register with the federal government the IMEI of every cellphone earlier than importing it.
“The producer shall register the worldwide cell gear identification variety of each cell phone manufactured in India with the Indian Counterfeited Machine Restriction portal of the Authorities of India within the Division of Telecommunications previous to the primary sale of the cell phone,” the DoT stated on Monday, in a gazette notification amending the prevention of tampering of the Cell Machine Gear Identification Quantity, Guidelines, 2017.
It added that the IMEI of cellphones imported in India on the market, testing, analysis or “every other objective” may even need to be registered on the identical authorities portal “previous to the import of the cell phone into the nation”.
The IMEI is a singular quantity that’s used to determine a tool on a cell community. It has 15 digits, and is sort of a cellphone’s distinctive identification. The quantity is used to confirm the identification of a tool when a person makes use of the Web or locations a name by it. Telephones with a dual-SIM possibility have two IMEI numbers, one for every SIM. The IMEI quantity may help community suppliers monitor down a tool in case it will get stolen or is misplaced. As soon as such loss or theft is reported, the carriers can deny the machine entry to the mobile community even with a brand new SIM card.
In a bid to curtail the rampant cloning and theft of cellphones throughout, the Communications Ministry had earlier rolled out a Central Gear Identification Register. The identification register categorises cellphones based mostly on their IMEI standing in three lists — white, gray and black. Cellphones with IMEI numbers within the white listing are permitted to be used, whereas these within the blacklist are those which are reported stolen or misplaced and will not be be allowed to entry the community. Gadgets with IMEI numbers within the greylist don’t conform to requirements however are permitted to attach below supervision. The register additionally permits the DoT to hold out IMEI-based “lawful interception”.
In 2017, the federal government had notified guidelines to stop tampering of IMEI numbers of telephones by making it a punishable offence which might additionally entice a jail time period. The DoT had introduced its plan to implement this mission in July 2017 and a pilot was carried out in Maharashtra. “The theft and cloning of cellphones have turn into a major problem. The theft of cellphones is not only a monetary loss but additionally a risk to non-public lifetime of the residents in addition to nationwide safety. Counterfeit cellphones available in the market are one other difficulty for DoT. A considerable variety of counterfeit cellphones are energetic in our cell networks with pretend IMEI numbers,” a DoT workplace memorandum on the time had acknowledged.