MOBILE PHONE SECURITY SHOULD BE A NATIONAL PRIORITY: SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD
5G
Spectrum will be given for trial to all operators; We need to make UPI payment
interface a global beacon; Launches Central Equipment Identity Register for
tracing Stolen/Lost Mobiles in Delhi
The Union Minister for Communications, Law
& Justice and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ravi Shankar
Prasad has said that the Mobile Security should be our National Priority
because the mobile handset became an important tool for all online activities.
He was addressing the gathering, here today, after launching a Web Portal
called ‘Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)’ for the customers of Delhi
to facilitate blocking and tracing of Stolen/Lost Mobile Phones in Delhi. The
Lt. Governor of NCT of Delhi, Shri Anil Baijal, the Secretary, Telecom and the
Chairman, Digital Communications Commission, Shri Anshu Prakash, the
Commissioner of Delhi Police, Shri Amulya Patnaik, the Member (Technology),
Digital Communications Commission, Shri S.K. Gupta were also present on the
occasion.
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Government
has decided to give 5G Spectrum for trial to all operators in the country. This
may take few years to launch it fully all over the country, he added. UPI
Payments interface has become primary means for all online money transactions
in the country and we need to make it a Global beacon for making Indian rupee
much stronger.
The Minister for Communications said that this
is the age of communication and communication is power, and this is the age of
technology and the technology is power. He further said that while we exploit
use and make optimum involvement of technology for development the equally
smart criminals induce technology for their own end. Therefore, we need a
technology that safeguards our interests, he added.
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Aadhar is a
digital identity to confirm our physical identity and the digital India is for
digital inclusion. Digital India is empowering ordinary Indian to the power of
technology which is leading to digital inclusion, he said. Industry should be
more innovative and Indian players should imbibe new innovations in IT, he
added.
The Lt. Governor of NCT of Delhi, Shri
Anil Baijal while addressing said that in the NCR Delhi itself the mobile theft
cases are increasing to the tune of 40,000 cases per year and there should be a
mechanism to address this problem. He requested the Minister for Communication
to consider the integration of Zonal Integrated Police Network (ZIPNET) with
the CEIR for better functioning.
The Secretary, Telecom and the Chairman,
Digital Communications Commission, Shri Anshu Prakash said that the
Tele-density in the country has increased to 242 mobiles for 100 populations
and the mobile handset became a means to fulfil all day-to-day requirements.
Therefore, securing mobile with a system is the need of the hour.
International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)
is supposed to be a unique identity of a mobile phone device. A phone with
one/two slots of SIM Card is programmed with one/two IMEI number as the case
may be. IMEI number being programmable, some miscreants do reprogram the IMEI
number, which results in cloning of IMEI causing multiple devices with same
IMEI number. As on date, there are many cases of clones/duplicated IMEI
handsets in the network.
If such IMEI is blocked, a large number of
mobile phones will get blocked being handsets with same IMEI causing
inconvenience to many genuine customers. Thus, there is a need to eliminate
duplicate/fake IMEI mobile phones from the network.
Accordingly, this project called Central
Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system has been undertaken by the DoT for
addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile
handsets.
The launch of Project in Delhi will facilitate
as follows:
- Request
for blocking of stolen or lost mobile phone by customers.
- Blocking
of such mobile phones across mobile networks.
- Allowing
services to other existing customers have mobile phones with same IMEI
number.
- Sharing
of traceability date with Police Authorities.
- Unblocking
of recovered/found stolen or lost mobile phones.
***
BN/BK
(Release ID :196190)