January 1 cut-off for fake phones still stands in UAE

Dubai: A January 1 deadline is still in effect for UAE telecoms to knock 70,000 fake phones out of service, says etisalat, despite reports on yesterday that etisalat and du would start decommissioning phones today.
A spokesperson for etisalat told Gulf News that new reports of the December 21 crackdown were not the case and that a plan by telecoms and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) for the new year is still in play.

"It's still January 1. That's when etisalat will move against fake phones," the spokesperson told Gulf News. "The deadline has not changed."

Disconnecting counterfeit phones will cleanse the country of mobile phones that could present hazards to users because they are not officially manufactured, thus do not meet generally accepted consumer safety test levels.
 

"Users of fake devices will be imminently contacted by their service providers and all phones that are not type approved will be disconnected from all telecom services, including calls, texts and the internet," said the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in a statement in late November.


Sally Hamandi, communications manager for Nokia, told Gulf News yesterday, "We are happy with the new regulation as it protects our consumers and ensures that they are getting the quality device with the price they are paying for."
 

How to check IMEI

1 IMEI can be obtained by keying in *#06# on your handset
2 Send the 15-digit IMEI to 8877; you will get an SMS stating whether your unit is "fake" or "genuine"

Thanks - Gulf News