China Cellphones In India
There has been much talk recently about whether China made cellphones will work in India given the Indian government's recent decision to ban cell phone service to all non-nationally registered cellphones.
The heart of the issue involves IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers. Basically, every cellphone in the world comes with a unique IMEI number that helps cellular companies route the calls to your handset.
The problem with non-India made phones is that their manufacturers do not register the IMEI numbers with the India goverment or for that matter, other governments since doing so would require too much time and expense.
One solution is available:
- Visit only authorised GII (Genuine IMEI Implant) centres, set up on Government approved process, which can implant new genuine IMEI on the handset.
- Pay a nominal charge of Rs 199 (all inclusive) and obtain a receipt.
- Carry your handset with a valid identity Proof for identification purposes while visiting these centres.
- Invalid IMEI will not work, regardless of the network the customer is currently on
This solution is taken from this article: vodafone.in/existingusers/products/moreproducts/pages/gsmmobile_imei.aspx which also has a list of participating GSM agents.
Then you'll be able to use your China phones in India. Great news for resellers since India is one of the main importers of Chinese made mobile phones.
|