UAE-based telecommunications company,Etisalat, will begin the process of stopping functionality of fake illegal handsets starting tomorrow (December 21).

Aimed to safeguard the interest of consumers in the UAE, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), jointly with Etisalat, recently launched the campaign to raise awareness and discourage the use of mobile phones that use a fake (or cloned) International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.

An IMEI number is a unique 15-digit code on every mobile phone, a statement from the company said.

Matthew Willsher, chief marketing officer, Etisalat, said: “Etisalat fully supports the TRA’s decision in order to safeguard the interests of our customers as well as retailers. The use of fake mobile devices poses risks to users and adversely affects the quality of the telecommunication services.”

Etisalat has notified customers via SMS message alerting them about their use of fake mobile devices with a fake IMEI number. In order to avoid disconnection of service, affected customers can replace their fake mobile devices with approved, high quality ones available from the telecommunications company, it said. – TradeArabia News Service