Independent firm may oversee mobile phone anti-theft scheme
Jonah Iboma
An independent firm might oversee the anti-theft scheme soon to be introduced by the Federal Government to check the high incidence of theft of mobile phones in the country. Sources close to the Nigerian Communications Commission said that several firms had submitted bids for the project and that the commission was considering which of them would handle the project. Sources, however, confirmed that the telecommunications regulatory body might settle for an independent firm that would, among other things, keep a database of stolen phones and make them available to operators so that the phones could be demobilised on their networks.One of the bidders is the IDSV International, a firm headed by a United States-based Nigerian telecoms expert, Mr. Prince UchenduOne of the reasons why the regulatory body might consider an independent firm was the need to avoid duplication of efforts by the operators.The Executive Chairman of NCC, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, had on Thursday given an indication of the introduction of the scheme, stating that the regulatory body had made a major breakthrough by reaching agreement with all operators to use a common platform for the anti-theft scheme. According to Ndukwe, “A common platform would ensure that interoperability issues were easily overcome and stolen phones could be tracked and blocked easily across the networks of operators.”While each of the operators would have the software for monitoring mobile phones installed in the networks, the theft monitor would keep a database of stolen phones which would be made available to the networks whenever a phone is reported stolen.The scheme is expected to focus on using the International Manufacturers Equipment Identity, a number that uniquely identifies a mobile phone on the networks of each of the operators. Whenever a phone call is made, the IMEI number is transmitted just as the SIM card number, but it is, however, received and kept only on the networks of operators and not transmitted to a subscriber. In 2006, the NCC had held a public forum where it received several inputs from experts, but the scheme could not commence it due to disagreements on the platform to be used.It is not yet clear if subscribers would be made to pay for the service, although, there are indications that one additional feature that might come with it is mobile phone insurance.
An independent firm might oversee the anti-theft scheme soon to be introduced by the Federal Government to check the high incidence of theft of mobile phones in the country. Sources close to the Nigerian Communications Commission said that several firms had submitted bids for the project and that the commission was considering which of them would handle the project. Sources, however, confirmed that the telecommunications regulatory body might settle for an independent firm that would, among other things, keep a database of stolen phones and make them available to operators so that the phones could be demobilised on their networks.One of the bidders is the IDSV International, a firm headed by a United States-based Nigerian telecoms expert, Mr. Prince UchenduOne of the reasons why the regulatory body might consider an independent firm was the need to avoid duplication of efforts by the operators.The Executive Chairman of NCC, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, had on Thursday given an indication of the introduction of the scheme, stating that the regulatory body had made a major breakthrough by reaching agreement with all operators to use a common platform for the anti-theft scheme. According to Ndukwe, “A common platform would ensure that interoperability issues were easily overcome and stolen phones could be tracked and blocked easily across the networks of operators.”While each of the operators would have the software for monitoring mobile phones installed in the networks, the theft monitor would keep a database of stolen phones which would be made available to the networks whenever a phone is reported stolen.The scheme is expected to focus on using the International Manufacturers Equipment Identity, a number that uniquely identifies a mobile phone on the networks of each of the operators. Whenever a phone call is made, the IMEI number is transmitted just as the SIM card number, but it is, however, received and kept only on the networks of operators and not transmitted to a subscriber. In 2006, the NCC had held a public forum where it received several inputs from experts, but the scheme could not commence it due to disagreements on the platform to be used.It is not yet clear if subscribers would be made to pay for the service, although, there are indications that one additional feature that might come with it is mobile phone insurance.
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