Trai seeks opinion on blocking stolen handsets

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today invited all stakeholders in the telecom industry to give suggestions on issues relating to blocking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) for lost or stolen mobile handsets.

As mobile phone theft is increasing and consumers increasingly store valuable personal information in them, Trai is seeking opinion on the feasibility of blocking the IMEI numbers, which are unique to every handset.

If this process is put in place, every service provider would have an equipment identity register of the handsets of its subscribers.

If equipment registers are shared through a centralised database, a stolen or lost mobile phone can be prevented from use across networks. A system should be formed to integrate all the information to disable a service from being used. In addition, these systems should be regularly updated as well.

Trai’s consultation paper, released today, says operators also have to provide a facility to unblock phones if a stolen or a lost phone is restored.

From a commercial perspective, this process involves cost in terms of capital and operational expenditure.