Kamlesh a carpenter in Delhi scratches his living out of the dry wood. He complained this morning that his cell phone was not functioning properly for last few days and was unable to reach most of his clients. Normally people like Kamlesh would get work through referrals on his mobile phone. Besides he is also a proud owner of a flashy-cool-looking touch screen based multifunctional Chinese handset bought at a dirt cheap price (Can someone confirm the actual cost of manufacturing a piece of hardware called mobile; is there any one here from China?).
And I thought to myself: Does this man even know what an IMEI number is? And that he has been considered a threat to the National Security lately?
Before drawing conclusions, I did a brief search on what an IMEI number is and how it relates to Security Related issues, if any, for a country of our means. To start it off, the concept of IMEI is least related to National Security per se.
According to wikipedia the pure purpose of International Mobile Equipment Identity i.e. IMEI is to empower the actual owner of a mobile handset to call up the service provider and request disablement of a stolen or lost handset permanently. Not the Government.
“…IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen phone from accessing the network. For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to “ban” the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless, whether or not the phone’s SIM is changed.” In effect the incentive of stealing a mobile phone is nullified.
Further, as per definitions an “IMEI is used only to identify the device, and has no permanent or semi-permanent relation to the subscriber. The subscriber is identified by transmission of an IMSI number, which is stored on a SIM card that can (in theory) be transferred to any handset.” In other words people using any mobile device (with or without valid IMEI number) can actually be traced and tracked thoroughly.
IMEI Game Over -The Nation is secure now
So does not the recent decision to block all non-IMEI valid phones exactly defeat the purpose of making a safer environment for citizens of all strata? Where stealing an IMEI valid mobile phone would not be an incentive?
And if it was about National Security, how come culling 20 million phones of poor-men guarantee a terrorist-proof environment for all of us? After a long time poor Indians were enjoying the features of great looking, multi feature Chinese handsets which only the rich had an access to. And all that has been destroyed in one stroke of half-baked self-denying measure in the name of security?
It wouldn’t be out of place (rather terrible) to mention that we spent some 31 crores of taxpayers money on security of Ajmal Kasab until 1st anniversary of 26/11 while screwing the other 20 million poor who got a chance to access technology as it should be.
So why not lower the import duty to bring down the mobile prices, so that the valid ones are affordable? Or come up with plain adoption of cheaper non-IMEI devices altogether based on economics of our country and not of a western one?
What’s your take on such decisions by our presumably pro-poor Government?
IMEI allows one to trace a mobile-phone. A mobile phone, unlike the SIM card, is difficult to change quickly. And even if someone tries to change the phone, now, it will be traceable.
So r u kinda happy that u r being traced etc…?
It’s not about me being happy or sad. We’ve been traced, just that we didn’t know that.
Shifting the discussion from ‘me’ to the ‘issue’ – I believe people should be fine as long as the process (we being traced) is non-intrusive; perhaps this bit can be done, if it helps beef up national security.
I agree with A…Arvind you are moving away from the topic…you post wasn’t about privacy…it was about the poor men and their cheap phones…
I am not a tech expert on the subject but there could have been alternatives. But a lame government does whatever is easy to do.
^^ “I m not a tech expert on the subject and I agree with A..”
While your concern is true but the solution imposed is not.
1. You need to understand the premises of technology to reason out whether or not IMEI beefs up national security…?
2. How is traceablity going to beef up the security when 9/10 terrorists came here to die along with killing spree?
3. Money could be a game player for such a decision and not an “innocent just do it the easy way” attitude.
Fuck them…Its weekend…lets talk about beer and babes…
China made cell phones are basically anywhere from 2k-5k. Feature wise, they are very robust. Each of these have Audio- mp3 player, video recording, Radio, call hold, call divert , touch screen, camera and sometimes satellite TV also. Now Kamlesh the carpenter, can either take this phone or can choose a Nokia 1100 which is of almost the same price with just the basic call and SMS feature. I hope we all know that Kamlesh, the carpenter with Nokia 1100 is anytime better than Osama, the terrorist with secret location.
Ya i thought so too..:) In fact now the poor men don’t have a choice. They must buy nokia 1100 with basic features at the same price as a chinese smartphone.
Coz the case seems to be of tax evasion by the poor and the power flexing by those in power to collect more money per device … possibly in the name of national security.
Anyways i just felt a little bad about my carpentor’s dilemma and put my thoughts over here.
Its more by the manufacturer lobby where sales of smart phone are not as as they thought of. so that want to get china stuff out of market.
Are you going to stop using Internet tomorrow because the terrorism uses the media to plan their strikes that ways?? And then snub all broadband connections too??
There is a security threat there too. I think it’s more about tax collection on sales of smartphones which the government was unable to cash in.
Why can’t that “poor” man, who has a “flashy-cool-looking touch screen based multifunctional Chinese handset” spend Rs 199 and get a new IMEI and activate his mobile?
May be u should talk to Kamlesh carpentor about IMEI. You will understand, and might even donate Rs. 200 for it..:)
Please answer these:
1. If the service provider is informed about the stolen phone IMEI then is this message shared with all providers? i mean who do i inform Airtel, Vodafone or all of them??
2. This is clearly a regulation lobbied by Nokia and other device manufacturers or may be The Mobile Store. Does it look like a security regulation? Do we think terrorist are fools? Will IMEI provide any friction to their activity?
3. The Mobile Store is implanting it for Rs. 200.
They would probably earn Rs.4Bn from this. Why can’t Chinese handsets have IMEI? Does the cost go up significantly?
I guess they have a complicated procedure with copy of FIR in the nearest police station etc. to process the request which might take up a few months.
I haven’t yet ever lost a mobile phone to face such a wrath … But now with the chinese smartfones gone, I dunno when will I lose mine to a yearning youth tomorrow.
Ofcourse.. you and your soap
it still rings?
@Arvind it’s 25 million handsets and not 20 million.
this is done by Nokia, Lg and samsung as their sale was decreasing and as You know the rest
I think people are missing the point of this article. IMEI identifies the device. IMSI identifies the SIM card.
It is the SIM which is linked with the mobile subscription, not the handset. If terrorism and security are the concerns, then the govt. should only be worried about making sure that SIM id’s are unique and cannot be spoofed.
Having unique IMEI numbers does not help as far as the security problem is concerned. The purpose of the IMEI scheme was to help the consumers regarding theft of mobile handsets.
The only reason here seems to be banning the cheap chinese phones from the market in the name of national security.
tx nilesh, I really wanted some one to explain this as lucidly as you have done…:)
Adding on to Nilesh’s comment:
The actual requirement of DOT is to block all Handsets with the NULL or Dummy IMEI number ie the Hex code has either 0 s’ only or F s’ only
IMEI – uniquely identifies the handset . This is only registered by the operator’s EIR (Equipment Identity Register) on actions such as switch on of the device.
Till date im not aware of a single scenario where the IMEI was blocked in an operator on basis of an FIR that successfully determined that this was a genuinely lost/stolen handset let alone all operators
IMSI – uniquely identifies the SIM and is necessary to be registered at the Network before each call is processed
1. All SIM connections require a ID proof and the Telecom Operator to verify the ID and the operator is fined 50,000 Rs per any occurrence of an error or discrepancy found out either during and audit or by Law enforcement authorities by the DOT wing (TERM)
2. All valid IMEI handsets do not require any id proof or any documentation to be maintained by either the Handset manufacturer or retailer
3. Valid IMEI number handsets can be transferred from one person to another without any transaction proof
4. In Black market your IMEI can be reprogrammed at as low as 50 Rs . (This is a normal thing that happens after theft of phone where the IMEI is reprogrammed to valid IMEI of the same manufacturer that might have been sold in another country )
In an active pursuit of Fugitive/Terrorist/Criminal
1. Law enforcement identifies the MDN (mobile number- one to one mapping with an IMSI at a given point in time) and the operator to which it belongs.(To my knowledge you simply cannot identify IMEI without knowing the IMSI/MDN unless you the know IMEI from the point of sale of the device)
2.Based on the MDN all the ID proofs of the subscriber is available within seconds (via the operators Document Management System)
3. In case of prepaid atleast his last 10 call are available in minutes and his last call location can be derived in an hour
(Postpaid the operator is supposed to send a bill(strong address verification /Credit Verification for Collections purpose) and have payment history , the calls can be available in 6 hours time)
4. In 6 hours his incoming outgoing with cell sites needs to be available to the authorities (This requires authorisation from Senior Law enforcement officers).
5. Even in case suppose they get an IMEI id how are they going to search for the same fugitive across operators for the network can actively locate only his IMSI .
6. unlike tracking of an IMSI the IMEI tracking at operator level simply cannot be real time generally there is an expected lag
7. Incase the fugitive changes his handset( now alert due the regulation in question) what are they going to do about this.
Only criminal case where IMEI played a role was when a low level member of the railway mafia in UP was tracked years ago because he used the same operators numbers in a single handset from a single location.
Cynic in Me :
1. The big 4 handset manufactures have their sales dropping in the sub $40 segment due to Chinese handsets .
2. Although the latest Chinese handsets come with a valid IMEI there the branding damage of the category has been done and no single brand in this category is going take up PR exercise to quell the fears
3. Telecom Minister’s Home state has manufacturing units for the established Handset vendors and they are big employers in the region.
4. This a feel good initiative by the Government which does nothing at all on ground barring sound bytes across tv channels. rather than spending energy in stronger regulation of Govt issued ID cards.
5. If you haven’t noticed the Terrorists /Naxalites have moved onto Satellite phones for uninterrupted coverage and anonymity
Disclaimer : Im from operator background and these are my personal opinions
So is there any remote correlation between National security and IMEI less mobiles at all? I m yet not convinced about it…..
IMEI numbers are very important but the issue is as i my self is doing this business we provide IMEI number of each handset to the customs before clearin the goods than where is the problem
1) due to lower sales of Nokia and other branded phones they bribe the operators and the so called gov to bring strict laws.
2) the operators have still not figured the difference between the real and the fake imei’s so they have stoped maximum phones.
3) Media: Indian media is the most biased media i have seen in my life time, they only show one part of the story, they dont care of the poor and neither do they care of a million families who are living of it.
4) even though the Government earns million of dollar revenue of the Chinese phones, they want to stop it just coz their personal pockets are still empty which can only be filled by Big BRANDS.
Please fell free to comment i will appreciate it.
Regards
Abhi
shata thikka muchro lo gandus emei number illa antha nan thale kediskondidre
x drops the sim uses the same phone – keeps on changing sims as he knows there is no imei numbr – how do u identfy the chain….