ISLAMABAD: The telecommunications regulatory authority extended the registration date on Saturday for all mobile devices that come with two SIMs and have a separate international mobile device identity (IMEI) until September 15.
Two weeks ago, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had asked all subscribers with dual SIM mobile phones to register their IMEI numbers before August 31.
The PTA had previously said that there were cases in which subscribers who have dual SIM phones have registered an IMEI number in the slot they use. Most users do not use the second slot and have not registered the IMEI number against them or have forgotten to do so. Mobile device users with a registered IMEI and the second unregistered IMEI must register all IMEIs.
The IMEI number is only used to identify the device and is not related to the subscriber. The number is used by the PTA to identify valid devices and, therefore, can be used to prevent a stolen phone from accessing the network in the country.
The PTA said it will evaluate all such requests and that validated cases will be recorded accordingly. He also warned about legal actions if an applicant submitted incorrect information. Devices that already have an IMEI against a registered SIM slot will not face service interruptions.
To verify the status of a mobile device, the PTA has advised subscribers to dial * # 06 # and send SMS every 15 IMEI digits to 8484.
The PTA said subscribers were advised to register all IMEI (dual SIM) of their mobile devices under their new indigenous mechanism called Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).
DIRBS has been developed to counter smuggling and the use of counterfeit mobile phones in the country.
Posted on Dawn, September 1, 2019
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1502865/dual-sim-phone-registration-deadline-extended-till-sept-15
