cellphone radiation

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has introduced the two step process of the authentication of the smart phones in order to curb the misuse of identity of the mobile phone registration. PTA Two Steps Authentication for Phone Registration with DIRBS.

The applicant should enter the mobile phone number, which is authenticated against biometrically verified mobile number database and one time password (OTP), which is sent through SMS to the mobile number of the applicant. When you enter the OTP code, the application is transmitted to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

If the applicant has failed in the authentication, the application is put on hold and the applicant will get the information through the system to upload the copy of the passport, CNIC and immigration stamp pictures. The system will transmit request to FBR on the validation. Because of the Device Identification, the Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS), total 357 million IMEI were got registered as of 15 January 2019 and the number of non-compliant sets, which were blocked after 15 January 2019 stands at 9.57 million. There are another 10.66 million GSMA, the valid IMEI were blocked too.

The 986,191 devices were applied under DIRBS under individual registration category, where total 656,920 devices were registered free and 33,830 devices were registered with tax and paid the total amount of Rs.74 million in taxes and 44,943 misuse cases were forwarded to FBR and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Federal cabinet approached with the proposal to withdraw Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Baggage Rules exemption for mobile phones in order to address misuse of travel data and reduction in taxes and duties on new cell phones.

By following section 9.6 of Telecom Policy 2015, PTA has developed the system to:

(i)                 Eliminate counterfeit, non standard and duplicate IMEI devices from networks

(ii)               Support FBR to reduce smuggled mobile devices.

(iii)             Settle the security issues because of usage of non standard and duplicate IMEI mobile phone.

As part of the decisions of Federal Cabinet, the devices seen on mobile networks as of 15 January 2019 and these devices were converted to compliant legal status. There is total of 357 million devices, which have been convened to compliant status and you can see the non compliant devices on the network after 15 January 2019. The mobile phones, which are not tax paid and they are not registered after 60 days, they are being blocked in different phases.