Without IMEI?!
A year after the horrific Mumbai 26/11 attacks, the government, on tuesday, 1st december, has finally banned 20 million mobile handsets that do not have an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number in order to stop the usage of such phones by terrorists to make communications to high commands and launch attacks.
Wikipedia terms the International Mobile Equipment Identity number as one unique to every GSM and WCDMA and iDEN mobile phone, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone. It can also be displayed on the screen of the phone by entering *#06# into the keypad.
Thus, whenever a phone is lost, or the SIM card is replaced, then via the IMEI number, it is possible to track or block such a phone.
Most of the Chinese phones that have flooded the market with cheap and economical phones with high-end features do not carry an IMEI number and hence it becomes difficult to track these phones. Reports from intelligence authorities state that these very phones have been used to communicate during the Mumbai attacks.
This drastic step has met with mixed response from the market.The customers who have already purchased such models without being aware of the IMEI scandal, are facing dead phones and visibly disturbed.
Apparently, new IMEI cards will be issued at Rs. 150-200 in a couple of days.
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