The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has given a go head for lost & stolen phone pilot project called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). The pilot project will be executed in Maharastra LSA with BSNL as the operator and will be executed by ITPC wing of BSNL Pune within 6 months. For completing the project, ITPC Pune may enter into MoU/agreements with vendors/OEMs/developers for execution of the project.
Once the pilot project is successful, LSA Pune would be responsible for rollout of CEIR on a pan India basis based on the approval by DoT.
As per the office memorandum, BSNL has been given the responsibility for design, development, installation of CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) system. BSNL shall also prepare DPR for the pilot and also inform about the funds required for pilot project to Department of Telecom (DoT). For a nationwide deployment, BSNL needs to work out the hardware requirements such as server capacity, memory capacity, connectivity and software requirements in the from of various execution modules, databases and reporting formats and the development and deployment effort.
The pilot projects proposes to utilise the call detail record data of the mobile subscribers of BSNL. The proposed CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) need to be synchronised with EIR of BSNL installed at Pune. The pilot would also require deployment of software modules for which ITPC, unit of BSNL has core expertise. Also, BSNL Pune data centre services will be utilised for hosting the application and associated databases.
For lost & stolen phone pilot project, there have been talks about deployment of DIRBS (Devices Identification, Registration and Blocking System) software but BSNL should not deploy DIRBS and go for indigenous software modules. BSNL along with the help of software giants say TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL should design their own software module for device identification and blocking so that it has the flexibility to change the requirements whenever required and should not be dependent on third party as this project is of national significance.
Reports in Pakistani media Techlist said, “As per the Mobile Devices Identification, Registration and Blocking Regulations, 2017, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will establish DIRBS and prescribe standard operating procedures for its implementation on technical, management and operational matter.”
“This initiative was taken in Pakistan because many stakeholders, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and customers demanded such system to be started for the protection of mobiles and data,” added Techlist.
Pakistan’s Daily Times website said, “”It has been learnt that PTA is now trying to implement this IMEI blocking system with the name of Device Identification Registration Blocking System (DIRBS) in haste by bypassing all government rules.”
Even from national security point of view, first BSNL should opt for Make in India software so that there is no problem since there are talks of deploying DIRBS in Pakistan by PTA.
Once the software is made, Indian companies can also sell this product in the international market as it opens up new revenue opportunities for Indian companies in future for device identification and blocking for lost & stolen mobile phones.
Second, with DIRBS in the process of being deployed in Pakistan, India should not go for DIRBS but opt for indigenous system so that our national security is not compromised.
Keeping in view all these scenarios, BSNL should deploy indigenous software rather than deploying DIRBS as national security is of prime concern considering hostile countries in our neighbourhood.
Wow, I did not know about this. We have world best software development talent and should use them. #makeinindia