Sri Lanka to switch off all counterfeit and uncertified mobile phones
Sri Lanka is to prohibit the use and trade in all counterfeit and uncertified mobile phones in the country in an effort to curb security threat and halt the illegal trade violating manufacturers’ intellectual property rights, officials said.
Sri Lankan mobile phone vendors and telecom service providers recently held discussions with Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission on the possibility of blocking mobile phones which are not registered with the TRC, Manjula-Dahanayake Country Head IT and Mobile, Samsung India Electronics Limited, Sri-Lanka told the Business Times on the sidelines of the launching ceremony of the fifth generation GALAXY S5, a state-of-the-art smartphone in Colombo on Thursday.
He said that the TRC will take measures to block the counterfeit phones from accessing mobile networks in the country creating awareness on security, health, environmental threats, and compromise on standards, of such fake phones among the consumers.However people would be given adequate notice before carrying out this exercise. He said adding that the mobile phones with fake or invalid IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers could be blocked from the networks of mobile service providers, easily as the TRC possessed all the IMEI numbers of handsets imported to the country.
Mr. Dahanayake said that Samsung is leading the mobile smartphone market in Sri Lanka and it gives two years warranty for their branded handsets.
Sri Lanka has already established a comprehensive data base containing a list of mobile phones with all details including its international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) which is a unique identification code for each mobile device, a senior TRC official said.
The Central Equipment Identify Register (CEIR) is connected to the IMEI database of all the mobile operators and acts as a central system for all network operators to share blacklisted mobile terminals, he added.
It will ensure that devices blacklisted in one network will not work on other networks even if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in the device is changed he said adding that this system will be used to crack down on counterfeit and uncertified mobile phone trade.
Samsung unveiled its new flagship Galaxy S5 smart phone armed with a fingerprint scanner and a built-in heart rate sensor to defend its place as the world’s industry leader.
The company simultaneously revealed a connected bracelet for health-concerned customers at the launching ceremony of Galaxy S5 smartphone.