Observer Report
Islamabad
Since the implementation of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS), the import of mobile devices via legal channels has increased from 17.2 Million in 2018 to 28.02 Million in 2019 (63% increase). In 2020, 32.83 million devices have so far been imported. PTA has blocked 175 thousand devices’ IMEI reported as stolen through DIRBS. The system has also identified and blocked 24.3 Million fake/replica mobile devices and 657,645 IMEIs which were cloned/duplicated.
The successful execution of the System has led to the establishment of 29 local assembly facilities. These facilities have produced over 20 million devices since 2019 with over 1.5 million 4G smart phones. The implementation of DIRBS has been the catalyst for local mobile devices manufacturing.
