Tomorrow is December 1st and as we covered earlier, close to 20-25 million handsets will go defunct from tomorrow as DoT has instructed operators to block cellphones without a valid IMEI number.
Subscribers with such handsets will either have to buy a new one with an IMEI number or go to any of the 1,600 outlets set up by the Cellular Operators Association of India to get the number implanted through a software. Expect chaos, as one of the commentors earlier pointed out that inspite of having an imei number, Airtel is sending him messages that says he has an invalid imei number.
This will impact the low income group subscribers who are in all probability, even unaware of what ‘IMEI number’ actually is. Now that Telcos are expecting ARPUs to further slide, erosion of 20-25 million subscribers does mean a lot.
What’s your opinion?
To find out your mobile’s IMEI number, simply enter *#06# key sequence.
This is a good move by DOT. And every good move comes with hiccups. Remember moving of Airport out of the city in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
>>”as one of the commentors earlier pointed out that inspite of having an imei number, Airtel is sending him messages that says he has an invalid imei number.”
Somtimes phones do have IMEI number but its not registered with some world body. I was using a test phone(before production) which was having IMEI, but I also got the message. Later found out that IMEIs of the test phone are not registered.