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Which body oversees the global allocation of the Type Allocation Code used in IMEI numbers?

  1. A.GSMA
  2. B.TRAI
  3. C.Department of Telecommunications
  4. D.International Telecommunication Union

Correct answer

A. GSMA

Explanation

The correct answer is the GSMA, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association. The backgrounder says it oversees the worldwide allocation of the Type Allocation Code, handing codes to manufacturers and brand owners, who then assign unique device identities to individual handsets. TRAI is wrong, because the regulator appears in the release only in connection with the rule restricting messaging for a day after a re-issued SIM is activated, not with code allocation. The Department of Telecommunications is wrong as well; it advises citizens on what to avoid and runs the registration and verification machinery in India, but the global code pool is not its to allocate. The International Telecommunication Union is wrong because the release does not assign it this role. A useful chain to memorise is that the association allocates the code, the manufacturer assigns the full identity, and the Indian portals then register it.

Read the full article: IMEI Tampering Draws Three-Year Jail Under Telecom Act, 2023

Practice Questions

Q1.NationalEasy

How many digits does an IMEI number contain?

  1. A.Ten digits
  2. B.Twelve digits
  3. C.Fifteen digits
  4. D.Eighteen digits
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Fifteen digits

The International Mobile Equipment Identity is described as a unique number of that length which identifies a mobile device on a telecom network, and the first eight of those digits make up the Type Allocation Code that identifies the model or type of the handset.

Q2.NationalHard

Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, what punishment can tampering with a telecommunication identifier attract?

  1. A.Imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to Rs 10 lakh
  2. B.Imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs 50 lakh, or both
  3. C.Only a fine, with no provision for imprisonment
  4. D.Imprisonment up to seven years with no fine
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs 50 lakh, or both

The prohibition itself sits in Section 42(3)(c) of the Act, which bars tampering with telecommunication identifiers, while the neighbouring clause covers obtaining SIMs or identifiers through fraud, cheating or impersonation.