IMEI - International Mobile Equipment Identity - Number

The mobile phone is becoming an important and valuable gadget for modern citizen. An executive carry his contacts, personal information, bank details and other valuable personal and official secrets on a cell phone. Even one can make payments and transfer funds using smart phones. Also the mobile gadget is a valuable device and cost several thousand bucks for its owner. So it is important to safe guard the mobile gadget from loss and theft. IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)number is a good step in this direction.

The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used for stopping a stolen phone from accessing the network in that country. Recently India banned service to handsets without a valid IMEI number. The IMEI number is an unique number that can be traced by the network provider. If the misuse of a cell phone is reported then the service to that handset can be terminated.

Learn more about IEMI number at International Mobile Equipment Identity on Wiki.

International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI

IMEI number came to popularity with Indian Governet’s decision to ban all the handsets without having the IMEI number. This International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI number help the mobile service provider to trace the owner of the mobile handset. Let us see what is this International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI. The IEMI number is not like the SIM, but directly related to the mobile handset.

The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a unique number, to identify Mobile Phone handsets. This unique number IMEI number help you to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. You can find IMEI number printed inside the battery compartment of the phone. IMEI number will be displayed on the screen by entering *#06# into the keypad.

The Wikipedia give a near to perfect definition of the IMEI number use - The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used for stopping a stolen phone from accessing the network in that country. For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to "ban" the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless in that country, whether or not the phone's SIM is changed. However, the phone can be used abroad.

The format of the IMEI is XX-YYYYYY-ZZZZZZ-N . The first two digita are for Reporting Body Identifier, indicating the GSMA-approved group that allocated the model TAC, the next 6 digita are for The remainder of the TAC, and the last 6 digits for Serial sequence of the model and the last one is for Luhn check digit of the entire number.