TRC strikes a hard blow to counterfeit phones
From next month, all fake phones won’t work. So despite a tantalisingly cheap price tag, the unforeseen trouble for such phones lies in the form of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).
From October, phones of only TRC registered telco vendors will ‘work’, Oshada Senanayake, Director General TRC told the Business Times.
There are 24.43 million mobile phone subscribers in Sri Lanka as at December 2018, according to official data. As at January 2019, there are 13.5 million mobile phones equipped with 17.9 million active SIM cards. The number of SIM cards is higher because of multiple SIM use, according to a study done by LIRNEasia, a Sri Lankan think tank.
Many consumers unaware they have purchased a counterfeit phone, inevitably experience malfunctions with their product. Believing their product to be genuine, consumers often send in their phones to the genuine manufacturers for repair.
But some consumers do it knowingly. Buying a fake phone can pose a health risk such as high levels of radiation for an example. “It’s important to note that verified phones are safe,” Mr. Senanayake added. Other drawbacks such as network disruption and poor product quality make buying genuine the clear choice. By next month consumer can identify a genuine phone through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) which is a unique 15-digit number assigned to all cellular devices. This number is used to block a mobile phone from being used by another person or network operator if it ever gets lost or stolen. To check whether a phone is registered, one has to key in 1909 and insert the IMEI after which a response through a text will verify if the phone is registered or not.
“TRC-approved phones are sold by vendors registered with the regulator. Mr. Senanayake said that some 2, 500 vendors are registered with TRC now.
He stressed that all mobile devices already being used will not have any issue by next month. TRC will provide an online portal to register device brought by individuals from overseas/online thereafter. “This will ensure that consumers are protected,” Mr. Senanayake said.
He also said that ‘conceptual’ agreement with all operators has been arrived upon to carry out the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) for both mobile and fixed lines. MNP enables switching of mobile and fixed-line numbers across competing service providers is a customer facility widely practiced internationally and is a key facet of a liberalised telecommunications market. “Now technical discussions are in progress by a TRC-approved steering committee,” Mr. Senanayake said.
MNP will be in place ideally mid next year or late that year. “This will offer seamless movement for customers without the hassle of losing their telephone number,” Mr. Senanayake said.
Basically, from then onwards a mobile/fixed line number will be agnostic or not tag to any operator.
Mr. Senanayake said that MNP requires the setting up of technical infrastructure and number database management. “TRC will finalise the technical nuances of these.”