Introduction
Today I came across a website called change.org which has started a signature campaign aimed at petitioning TRAI Chairman to implement a system for blocking stolen phones in India. As I write, more than one lakh individuals have already signed up to the campaign. The idea is to identify the stolen phones based on their IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers and prevent these phones from registering into the operator’s mobile networks. Ideally, IMEI number for a mobile phone is unique, just like the serial numbers for laptops and other electronic equipment. Blocking stolen handsets will destroy the market for these devices domestically thereby severely reducing their resale value. The site claims that this system has been implemented in other markets and therefore, can be easily deployed in India. But can India imitate the working models of other countries? What are the challenges? Let’s explore.
Background
Interestingly, in past TRAI had initiated consultations to implement a blocking system for stolen handset, first on 31st Jan 2004, and the second on 2nd Nov 2010. The 2004 consultation fizzled out as the operators claimed that the consultation was premature as they did not have the technological capability to block stolen handsets. The 2010 consultation received an enthusiastic response from all operators, associations, and industry stakeholders. They all supported this initiative but were concerned about the presence of handsets with “cloned IMEI numbers” in large numbers. Again, the TRAI never came out with any recommendations and the process was shelved. The failure could be attributed to the fact that blocking of stolen handset is feasible only when its IMEI number is unique in the system. Otherwise, it would render other handsets (with same IMEI numbers) inoperative thus making the system useless. Hence, the fundamental issue was anchored around tackling the menace of phones with cloned IMEI numbers. Once that is resolved, blocking a stolen handset would have been relatively easy. But how did so many cloned handsets entered the operator’s network? Who has cloned these handsets? Why are they in such large numbers? To find answers to these questions we have to look at the past, more precisely what happened approximately two years before the date TRAI released its 2nd consultation paper.
