E-Paper
TRAI mulls regulation to block stolen handsets
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is formulating regulations that could curb theft of mobile phones.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is formulating regulations that could curb theft of mobile phones.
The telecom regulator is considering making it mandatory for operators to block a handset if a subscriber reports its theft, ensuring taht the phone will not work on any network.
TRAI issued a consultation paper on this issue on Tuesday.
At present, there is no mechanism to block a lost mobile phone; operators can at the most block the SIM card.
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique serial number, which identifies a handset. The government has made it mandatory that all handsets available in the country sport an IMEI number, which can be stored in the equipment identity register (EIR) database of a service provider.
In case of a complaint, the operator can flag the IMEI number and block the handset in its own network. If the EIR is centralised, the handset can be blocked across networks.
