DoT has asked operators to disconnect services to phones that don’t have IMEI from April 15.
About 25 million handsets are expected to be out of service from April 15, as GSM service providers, including Airtel and Vodafone, gear up to deny connectivity to cell phones without an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.
Concerned over national security, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked operators to disconnect services to handsets that do not have an IMEI number. IMEI is a 15-digit code that appears on the operator’s network whenever a call is made.
If all service providers adhere to the deadline given by DoT, nearly 25 million handsets, which comprise almost 10 per cent of the total GSM mobile phones used in the country and are mostly China-made, are likely to go out of service, industry sources say.
Analysts feel that the move is also likely to hit the revenue of telecom firms, as phones which have no IMEI numbers are usually low-cost and unbranded and used by low-end subscribers.
To get these subscribers back on the network would be a challenge for the telcos as they would have to provide these subscribers subsidised or free handsets.
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In October 2008, DoT had set the December 31, 2008 deadline to stop services to handsets without IMEI numbers. The deadline has been extended to April 15, 2009.
One of the leading telecom service providers has started sending out messages to its subscribers for using phones with IMEI number or face disconnection.
A mobile phone without an IMEI number poses a threat as it cannot be traced by the service providers. An IMEI number prevents the use of stolen handsets for making calls and allows lawful interception to prove the use of a particular device.
The Indian Cellular Association (ICA), the industry body for handset makers, said the government should also impose restrictions at the point of import of mobile devices without IMEI number.
“Besides disconnecting the phones without an IMEI number, the government should also impose restrictions at the point of import of such devices,” ICA President Pankaj Mahindroo said.
Moreover, there is no central mechanism to prohibit the use of stolen phones. The bulk of grey market phones, predominantly originating from China, do not have genuine IMEI numbers.
Handset maker Nokia India said: “Nokia has been working with trade bodies like the ICA to create awareness around this issue and would request all consumers to get their IMEI numbers validated before the deadline.”