The Federation Council Commission supported the idea of creating an IMEI database of all “white” phones.
The idea to create an IMEI database of all Russian phones has long been roaming the minds of officials. Since last year, Rossvyaz has been engaged in this project , and in January 2018, the Association of E-Commerce Companies (ACIT) developed a corresponding concept . Creating a single registry will allow you to automatically block stolen phones in the network, as well as devices illegally imported into Russia (for example, purchased on Aliexpress). According to distributors, illegal imports are especially prevalent in the smartphone sector of Chinese brands, where the proportion of gray smartphones is 10%, and at certain points gray imports account for 50% of the total imports.
Now the idea is again discussed at the highest level. The newspaper "Vedomosti" received at its disposal a copy of the new document -Mobile control concepts . The document was prepared by an expert council under the government, and the interim commission of the Federation Council for the Development of the Information Society last week reviewed and supported this concept.
The website of the Council of Federation states that the document was developed by the Working Group on IMEI, which functions on the basis of the WG “Communication and IT” of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. The discussion of the concept was attended by representatives of all interested departments, including the Information Technology and Communications Department of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Customs Service, the Federal Tax Service, the Federal Tax Service, communication agencies, Public Association "Documentary Telecommunications Association", PJSC "MTS", PJSC "VimpelCom", PJSC "Rostelecom", PA "Megafon", LLC "T2 Mobile", RATEK Association, the National Council of the financial market.
So what did the experts decide?
Importing companies and people who bought phones abroad will register them in a special IMEI database. Register your phone will be in the shops or on a special portal. The IMEI database has yet to be created, and the operator has not yet been selected, so the process may take several years.
Irina Levova, curator of the “Svyaz and IT” working group of the expert council, explained that phones not registered in the database will be disconnected 2–3 years after the start of universal registration . According to the curator, this is the normal life of smartphones - and it should be enough for all Russians to replace a device that was stolen or illegally imported into Russia with a normal phone, for which a fee has been paid to the budget.
In addition to replenishing the budget, the creation of the IMEI database is also of additional benefit. Authorities can arbitrarily block phones according to citizens. For example, in case of theft of the device. Blocked phones will not work in any Russian cellular network, so you can only use them abroad or offline, connecting to the network only via Wi-Fi.
The authors of the concept refer to the experience of foreign countries, where the blocking of stolen phones by IMEI is already in place. It is extremely beneficial for the state and reduces the number of thefts. For example, in Turkey, the IMEI control system from 2006 to 2010 brought $ 10.5 billion in additional tax profits , and the number of mobile thefts fell by almost 95%.
Recall that the previous concept of ACIT included white, gray and black lists IMEI.
ACIT has also developed a soft “certification” scheme, which will not be hard on ordinary buyers:
When importing a phone from abroad, the user will have to register it in the registry.
All mobile devices that have a SIM card will enter the IMEI registry. These are mobile phones, tablets, routers and security alarms. Most likely, the registry will be created on the basis of the Central Research Institute of Communications at Rossvyaz.
In January 2018, ACIT sent a document to the chairperson of the provisional commission of the Federation Council for the Development of the Information Society Lyudmila Bokova. Perhaps it was he who formed the basis of the current Mobile Device Control Concept, which was approved by the expert council.
The specific procedure for citizens to register their phones and pay the fee will be published later.
Now the idea is again discussed at the highest level. The newspaper "Vedomosti" received at its disposal a copy of the new document -Mobile control concepts . The document was prepared by an expert council under the government, and the interim commission of the Federation Council for the Development of the Information Society last week reviewed and supported this concept.
The website of the Council of Federation states that the document was developed by the Working Group on IMEI, which functions on the basis of the WG “Communication and IT” of the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation. The discussion of the concept was attended by representatives of all interested departments, including the Information Technology and Communications Department of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Expert Council under the Government of the Russian Federation, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Customs Service, the Federal Tax Service, the Federal Tax Service, communication agencies, Public Association "Documentary Telecommunications Association", PJSC "MTS", PJSC "VimpelCom", PJSC "Rostelecom", PA "Megafon", LLC "T2 Mobile", RATEK Association, the National Council of the financial market.
So what did the experts decide?
Importing companies and people who bought phones abroad will register them in a special IMEI database. Register your phone will be in the shops or on a special portal. The IMEI database has yet to be created, and the operator has not yet been selected, so the process may take several years.
Irina Levova, curator of the “Svyaz and IT” working group of the expert council, explained that phones not registered in the database will be disconnected 2–3 years after the start of universal registration . According to the curator, this is the normal life of smartphones - and it should be enough for all Russians to replace a device that was stolen or illegally imported into Russia with a normal phone, for which a fee has been paid to the budget.
In addition to replenishing the budget, the creation of the IMEI database is also of additional benefit. Authorities can arbitrarily block phones according to citizens. For example, in case of theft of the device. Blocked phones will not work in any Russian cellular network, so you can only use them abroad or offline, connecting to the network only via Wi-Fi.
The authors of the concept refer to the experience of foreign countries, where the blocking of stolen phones by IMEI is already in place. It is extremely beneficial for the state and reduces the number of thefts. For example, in Turkey, the IMEI control system from 2006 to 2010 brought $ 10.5 billion in additional tax profits , and the number of mobile thefts fell by almost 95%.
Recall that the previous concept of ACIT included white, gray and black lists IMEI.
- White list: codes allowed for importation and use
- Gray list: non-unique IMEI, temporarily not forbidden to use (for the transfer to the white list, the user must show proof of legal purchase of the device at the operator’s office)
- Black list: IMEI prohibited to use stolen or illegally imported devices
ACIT has also developed a soft “certification” scheme, which will not be hard on ordinary buyers:
- You can take 1 smartphone for a year for free
- For the second device, the fee will be $ 20
- For the third and each subsequent - $ 30
- In the absence of documents confirming the legality of the importation fee will be $ 40
When importing a phone from abroad, the user will have to register it in the registry.
All mobile devices that have a SIM card will enter the IMEI registry. These are mobile phones, tablets, routers and security alarms. Most likely, the registry will be created on the basis of the Central Research Institute of Communications at Rossvyaz.
In January 2018, ACIT sent a document to the chairperson of the provisional commission of the Federation Council for the Development of the Information Society Lyudmila Bokova. Perhaps it was he who formed the basis of the current Mobile Device Control Concept, which was approved by the expert council.
The specific procedure for citizens to register their phones and pay the fee will be published later.
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