Tehran, Iran, May 29
By Kamyar Eghbalnejad - Trend:
With the government trying to tackle contraband smartphones and devices, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced new restrictions on imports of tablets with SIM card support into the county.
In a statement on May 29, IRICA said importers of tablets with SIM card support, like mobile phone importers, have an obligation to register their goods at cid.ntsw.ir to get a registration code as well as an Identity number, the official website of IRICA reported.
According to figures released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration, the value of imports of tablets with SIM to the country stood at $514,000 from March 21 to April 20 in 2018.
The main exporters of tablets to Iran were the UAE and China, the data added.
In a bid to curb smuggling of cell phones, the Telecom Ministry, IRICA, the Communication Regulatory Authority and the Industries Ministry introduced a scheme they call “Mobile Registry” according to which local operators are barred from offering services to contraband phones.
After more than a decade delay in implementing the scheme, its initial phase was launched on Oct. 20, 2017. In a bid to contain the market shock created in the wake of launching the scheme, its implementation has been phased.
According to a report by state radio and TV, so far 47,000 contraband phones active in local operators’ network have been identified.
On Jan. 4, the functioning contraband iPhones were disconnected from mobile networks. In the next phase, access of smuggled Google, BlackBerry and Motorola phones to the local network will be banned.
According to market insiders, since the scheme was launched, mobile phone prices jumped 20-35%. For flagship handsets the rise translates into a $200 to $300 hike.
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