Central Equipment Identify Register: Government launches web portal to trace stolen mobiles
The Government of India on December 30, 2019, launched “Central Equipment Identify Register” portal to block and trace mobile phones. The web portal will operate under Department of Telecom.
Highlights
The CEIR portal has been established in order to address theft, security and other concerns. The portal will also hold database of IMEI numbers of blacklisted handsets. When a phone is listed in blacklist, the wireless carriers will not allow the phone to connect to a network. It will facilitate request of blocking lost or stolen mobile phones of the citizens.
CEIR
The CEIR has powers to block the usage of the phone. On the other hand, the predecessor technologies of CEIR were able to block the sim cards alone. The CEIR also has powers to access the GSMA database. GSMA is Global system of Mobile Communications. The database of GSMA holds manufacturer and model numbers.
IMEI
IMEI is the International Mobile Equipment Identity is a unique number that can be found in batteries of phones. Australia was the first country to adopt IMEI. Other countries that have adopted IMEI include US, UK, India.
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Month: Current Affairs - December, 2019