ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) introduced on Friday that the long-anticipated Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) would develop into useful on October 20 after which all unregistered cell phones would develop into unusable.
The DIRBS is an indigenous answer aimed to fight using smuggled or counterfeit units which both serve to cut back tax revenues for the state or pose well being issues to unsuspecting customers.
We suggest that buyers purchase solely PTA-approved telephone units after Oct 20. A client ought to textual content the Worldwide Cellular Gear Id (IMEI) quantity printed on the field of a brand new handset to 8484. However she or he ought to pay for the handset solely after (s)he receives reply that the set is compliant with the regulatory requirements, mentioned PTAs director normal for providers, Talib Dogar.
System identification system goals to sort out use of faux or smuggled units which pose well being hazards
The know-how will assist the authorities counter the problem of counterfeit units that adversely impacts the federal government, cell phone operators, distributors and customers, in keeping with Mr Dogar.
These are the units that aren’t registered with the World System for Cellular Affiliation (GSMA) and could also be mass-produced by manufactures who don’t adjust to worldwide requirements of manufacturing, ensuing within the proliferation of counterfeit, presumably hazardous, cell phones.
PTA additionally mentioned it had legalised the practically 160 million compliant and non-complaint cellular units, lively on all of the networks, earlier than the launch of DIRBS. All these units wouldn’t face any service interruption as they’d not be blocked by DIRBS.
Nevertheless a client, who inserts a SIM card apart from the one (s)he was utilizing earlier than Oct 20 in a non-compliant cellular gadget after the amnesty interval, shall be required to register the telephones IMEI with PTA inside two weeks to have the ability to proceed utilizing the handset, Mr Dogar mentioned.
Equally, the customers who buy handsets overseas must register them in Pakistan by logging onto the PTAs DIRBS web site. After the one-time registration, the patron would be capable to function the handset after furnishing details about identification card quantity, the IMEI of the handset and the nations title the place the set was purchased, and many others.
In distinctive instances, such customers on roaming providers, they may proceed to make use of their telephones with out interruption. Nevertheless, as quickly as they insert an area SIM they should register their cellular units with PTA, Mr Dogar mentioned.
One other senior officer, Nouman Khalid, defined that in an effort to create public consciousness PTA was sending SMSs to all subscribers in regards to the standing of their cellular units.
The 4 sorts of responses that may be acquired by a subscriber inquiring in regards to the standing of the IMEI embrace compliant units, that are the PTA-approved units legally imported into Pakistan.
The opposite response is legitimate units, that are those having legitimate IMEIs however which aren’t PTA-approved. To facilitate such customers, PTA will auto-register the IMEIs lively on cellular networks earlier than Oct 20, and their standing shall be compliant after the mentioned date.
Mr Khalid mentioned that non-compliant units are these the place the IMEI is both not allotted by GSMA or is duplicated. To facilitate such customers, PTA will auto-pair all such IMEIs lively on cellular networks with particular SIMs earlier than Oct 20. After that date, such customers will be capable to use their units with paired SIMs solely.
Lastly, the blocked units message signifies that the IMEI is blocked as this IMEI has been reported stolen earlier.
Mr Khalid mentioned that after coming into impact the system may assist the federal government improve revenues from $170 million to $200m on imported telephone units.
Revealed in , October 13th, 2018