Ravi Shankar Prasad launches CEIR to facilitate tracing of stolen or lost mobile phones

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Communications and Information Technology on Monday launched the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system to facilitate blocking and tracing of stolen or lost mobile phones in Delhi.

The pilot project for this initiative was launched in Mumbai in the month of September.

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The CEIR website said, “With the aim to curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market and discourage mobile phone theft, protect consumer interest and facilitate law enforcement authorities for lawful interception, DoT intends to implement Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) that connects to the IMEI database of all the mobile Operators.”

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“CEIR acts as a central system for all network operators to share blacklisted mobile devices so 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,” it added.

As per the CEIR website, if a user wants to block the lost device, can either fill a form in CEIR or approach track lost or stolen phones (TSPs) specified customer outlets.

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How does CEIR work?

Each phone number has a unique code known as International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). Whenever a user makes a call, the IMEI number gets attached to the call records. The phone can be changed but the IMEI number remains intact.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is preserving the data of all the lost mobile phones. If anyone tries to use the stolen device, the telecom service provider will identify the new user. The service provider will provide the full information for further investigation of the lost device.

The aim of CEIR is to reduce the resale of stolen/lost mobile phones.

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(With Inputs from ANI)