Following the terror attacks in Mumbai last year, that killed 173 and wounded 308, it was found that the terror group that carried out the attack were using phones that did not have a unique IMEI number that could be used to identify the phone.
From the 6th of October, 2008, the Department of Telecommunications had been planning a ban on the use of cellular phones without a unique 15 digit IMEI number. It looks like this will turn into something concrete – today.
In a move to combat terrorism in the country, the authorities have told operators to block mobile phone users who use phones without unique IMEI numbers.
Does my phone have a valid IMEI?
Unbranded phones that have been manufactured in China usually don’t have unique IMEI numbers. So if you’ve bought one of those phones, you could face disconnection.
Phones from renowned brands such as Nokia, Samsung, etc. are all equipped with uniqe numbers that can be used to identify the phone.
If you’ve got a phone with a spurious number, there are only two alternatives:
- Get a new phone
- Ask the Cellular Operations Association of India to implant a new IMEI number in your phone
While the Department of Telecom has been issuing such warnings throughout the year, it says this one is for real.
They also estimate that this move could cut off 10% of the country’s mobile users, most of whom are using stolen or smuggled phones.
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Hi, My name is Narayanan and i'm your resident blogger. Technology and internet have always fascinated me and that's the reason behind the origin of this blog. Thanks for visiting Tech Spikes :)