India Bringing "Death" to 25 Million Chinese Phones Tomorrow

**Michael Essany** · 11-30-2009, 05:48 AM

India will effectively "kill" some twenty-five million Chinese cell phones beginning tomorrow, December 1st.

India's Department of Telecommunications has given the order to operators to "block cellphones" without a valid IMEI number. The move leaves millions of Chinese using mobile phones without an IMEI number with only two options: buy a new phone with a valid IMEI number or get the number implanted in the current phone using available software through the Cellular Operators Association of India.

According to the Times of India:

It’s the end of days for those cheap Chinese mobile handsets which do not have a genuine International Mobile Equipment Identity number. From the midnight of November 30, all these will go dead.

India’s Ministry of Communications remains concerned that, if not handled appropriately and swiftly, these anonymous phones could fall into the hands of unsavory characters and potentially be used for terrorism.

If it seems that news of this program has come out of nowhere, you're not alone. Chances are, millions of subscribers in China may similarly be unaware of the service interruption they will experience beginning overnight. Needless to say, the customer service component of this switch could prove enough to make one's head explode. But ready or not, the change is coming.

The Genuine IMEI Implantation programme, being carried out by Mobile Service Providers’ Association of India across the country, is on in full swing. MSAI feels that even by conservative estimates, at least 2.1 crore mobiles may not get GII by Monday and are bound to go dead.

Image via TheNextWeb

**DogGunn** · 11-30-2009, 06:02 AM

Messany, did you even read the article?

Why would the disabling of phones being used in India increase sales of iPhones in China?

EDIT: I can see where you can get your misinterpretation from. India is barring illegitimate phones that have been manufactured in China with illegitimate IMEI numbers. China is not. Therefore these phones that the article is referring to, can be used in China, but not in India.

**steve-z17** · 11-30-2009, 06:15 AM

Wow, that's a lot of dead phones. It's kind of like our changing from analog TV's here, which was a pain for a lot of ppl, especially when it came down to the last couple days.

**Jahooba** · 11-30-2009, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by steve-z17

Wow, that's a lot of dead phones. It's kind of like our changing from analog TV's here, which was a pain for a lot of ppl, especially when it came down to the last couple days.

I don't know if it was much like that at all. We knew about the digital switch for years, and there were mass discounts on the equipment needed to do it, AND the Obama administration postponed it for what, 5 months after it was suppose to go through (which had already been postponed from months before)?

What India is doing is practically overnight.

**hollow0** · 11-30-2009, 06:37 AM

Why does everything always lead back to terrorism?

**Michael Essany** · 11-30-2009, 06:37 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I will say there is some confusing info out there on the matter, as multiple sources reporting indicate that the phones in question are both in China and in India, yet the ban applies only to the phones being used within India's borders.

**rhekt** · 11-30-2009, 06:38 AM

well this sucks for all those terrorists then i guess

**hollow0** · 11-30-2009, 06:51 AM

I'm sure they can use pay-as-you-go

**CaptainChaos** · 11-30-2009, 06:52 AM

^^They are only terrorists if they jailbreak their phones

**hollow0** · 11-30-2009, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainChaos

^^They are only terrorists if they jailbreak their phones

Lol ahh that's true! So they've got it all wrong!

**eg6motion** · 11-30-2009, 07:53 AM

this is interesting apple/iphone news....

**bclark1000** · 11-30-2009, 08:12 AM

I have Chinese phone that I use on tmobile. I have no idea if it has an IMEI number. Is this going to happen in the US. If my phone has no IMEI number, is there a way to "get the number implanted in the current phone using available software"?

**hollow0** · 11-30-2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by bclark1000

I have Chinese phone that I use on tmobile. I have no idea if it has an IMEI number. Is this going to happen in the US. If my phone has no IMEI number, is there a way to "get the number implanted in the current phone using available software"?

I think this only applies to India. Correct me if I'm wrong though..

**sayam** · 11-30-2009, 09:09 AM

Thank god! I hate those chinese phones people use here and tomorrow, i will be glad when they finally go dead

kudos to the government

**sqelch** · 11-30-2009, 10:07 AM

I doubt T-mobile would let you use a phone without a valid IMEI.

**Bluemetal** · 11-30-2009, 10:14 AM

So i don´t understand this: why do indian people use chinese (?) phones ? Why don´t they have IMEI´s ?
What is a chinese phone, i´ve never seen anyone here. Do you mean the cheap clones stolen from Apple, Nokia and others ?
So sorry but this is very confusinly (for europeans).

**flintoff** · 11-30-2009, 10:42 AM

no in india those phones are really cheap and mostly u can tons of stuff like watching tv on it radio vedio recording and all mucis players and all kind of features and phone doesnt cost much at all..on the other hand nokia and sony ericsson and other brands phone are really expensive thats y pplz buy chiness phones more but it will be gone tho lolzz

**sayam** · 11-30-2009, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Bluemetal

So i don´t understand this: why do indian people use chinese (?) phones ? Why don´t they have IMEI´s ?
What is a chinese phone, i´ve never seen anyone here. Do you mean the cheap clones stolen from Apple, Nokia and others ?
So sorry but this is very confusinly (for europeans).

Yeah, mostly those cheap clones and those phones having great features like dual sim etc that look bad but cost less are chinese phones. Their build quality is real bad!

Indian people use these phones cost they cost less and deliver more features (in-built television using antenna etc as i said before)

**tudtran** · 11-30-2009, 10:49 AM

That's a lot of phones.

**szr** · 11-30-2009, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Messany

India's Department of Telecommunications has given the order to operators to "block cellphones" without a valid IMEI number.

[...]

India’s Ministry of Communications remains concerned that, if not handled appropriately and swiftly, these anonymous phones could fall into the hands of unsavory characters and potentially be used for terrorism.

Ok, why does anyone think something like an IMEI number or not going to make any difference what so ever when it comes to torroists? I find it really hard to believe that they don't use regular phones, or pay as you go, or use some other form of communication altogether (radios, etc.)

I never understand what is supposed to make this IMEI so special. Is it not possible that someone with enough talen and know how could always change such a thing if thye had to, etc?

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