Chinese mobiles to go dead in India soon

By M H Ahssan

Security Concerns Make Dept Of Telecom Write To All Cellular Operators To Block Services

Mobile handsets made in China that have flooded the grey market are to be phased out within the next 10 days. These handsets are seen as a security threat, prompting the move against them.

The department of telecommunication (DoT) has sent a communication to Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) asking them to block services to handsets that have a 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. It is only the Chinese cellphones that have these 15 digit numbers. Other handsets come with 16-digit IMEIs.

The problem arises because on service providers’ computers, the Chinese handsets show up as having an endless list of digits as their IMEI number. Due to this, these handsets cannot be traced using their IMEI numbers. Also, it has been found that usually over 1,000 of these handsets share a single IMEI number. This has posed a big problem for the police. Whenever criminals changed their mobile numbers or in cases of mobile phone thefts, police used to track them through the IMEI numbers. These phones m a ke that virt u a l ly impossible.

Recently, the COAI made a representation to the government explaining the problem. The DoT, which took the issue seriously, issued direction to the COAI to stop mobile phone services to persons having Chinese mobile phone handsets. Already, some of these customers are receiving SMS from the mobile operators asking them to change the handset. Otherwise the service to their mobile phone would be disconnected.

Sources in a private mobile service provider said that they had received the communication a week ago. “It is a sensitive issue and we cannot make a hue and cry out of it. In some cases, where we find our customer using Chinese made handsets, we are calling them up and telling them. In some cases, SMS is being sent. In any case, within a week, we are planning to block services to the customers using Chinese mobile phone handsets,’’ he added.

China-made handsets are particularly popular with underworld operators and terrorists who were quick to take advantage of their IMEI problem. Concurrently cellular operators began to feel the heat. Whenever the police wanted to track some criminals who used mobile phones, the address proof was found to be fake. While tracking the criminals through IMEI numbers, the operators stumbled on multiple numbers being used at the same time,leading to security risks. Hence, the decision to cut service to such phones.