MHA clears C'Wealth countries bringing sat phones for Games

The Union Home Ministry has given clearance to participating countries to bring satellite phones to India during the forthcoming Commonwealth Games to be held here only after submitting relevant details.

The Department of Telcomm (DoT) has been asked to issue licenses to the visiting teams or country representatives only after furnishing the International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers and the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), official sources said today.

The countries, which bring satellite phones, will also have to produce the phone at the immigration counter while returning.

The DoT has been made a nodal agency to monitor satellite phones and report to security agencies all details about the instrument.

The Army and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) keep monitor signals of satellite phones.
     
The participating countries bringing sat phones will have to submit a request for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for use of instruments and radio frequency spectrum uses for such phone from DoT.
     
The DoT, after passing on the information to security agencies, will be provided the permission in consultations with the Army and the NTRO.
    
Satellite phones are not allowed into India without persmission as terrorists use them for communicating with each other.
    
Thuriya sat phone, manufactured by a Gulf-based company, is quite common among terrorist groups because of it being user-friendly.