You Can't Use Chinese Mobiles After April 2009

Are you using a Unbranded Chinese mobile without having IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)? You can't use that kind of mobilephones after this April. All mobile phone service users have been directed by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to disconnect these phones.A The telecom companies will disable connections that use Chinese mobile handsets. The mobile phone companies have undertaken to acquire the necessary equipment to track these phones by April 15 and discontinue their services thereafter - a process that is expected to take another 15 days, that is, by April 30.

IMEI helps the authorities identify the handset used to make a call on the GSM network, while the electronic serial number (ESN) is used for the CDMA network.

Following the DoT directive, telecom operators have already started alerting their customers to stop using illegal handsets.

'Airtel has always been compliant. We will comply with the authorities and bar the services as required,' Bharti Airtel deputy chief executive Sanjay Kapoor told IANS.

Added Gurdeep Singh, chief executive of another telecom operator Aircel: 'We will follow the timeline and have already intimidated our customers regarding the same. Though our customers are important, compliance is the topmost priority.'

Earlier, the DoT had extended the deadline for telecom operators to disconnect services to Chinese handsets from March 1 to March 31.

Now it has further been extended to April 13.

Telecom officials said this time they would stick to the deadline.
The decision would affect nearly 2.5 crore handsets, with most of them being Chinese-made.

The government's move came after investigating agencies found that terrorists have been using non-IMEI mobile phones for their communications.