DUBAI // The telecoms operator du has successfully blocked almost 20,000 fake handsets from using its network.
All of the unauthorised phones - 18,118 of them - have now been banned from accessing the company's mobile service.
The firm said it had enforced the restriction in accordance with a directive from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to block invalid 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.
The ban came into force on January 1. The devices affected were 17,416 consumer phones and 702 enterprise or business handsets.
"We are pleased to announce that as of January 24 we have successfully blocked all handsets using an invalid IMEI," said du.
"We would like to thank our customers for their cooperation during this process."
The company said it would continue to monitor and block any fake IMEI numbers using its network.
In the run-up to the ban, the TRA ran newspaper advertisements warning people of the new rules.
Federal authorities imposed the restrictions because many of the handsets with counterfeit IMEIs are made using substandard materials.
As a result, the phones are prone to have faults such as leaking batteries and are even deemed to be a fire hazard.
Du said at the beginning of the month that the campaign to raise awareness before the ban came into force had been a success, with the number of reported fake IMEI numbers falling from 57,338 to 17,797.
nhanif@thenational.ae
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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Points Classification after Stage 1
1. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20
2. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17
3. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus / Team Sky) 15
4. Tony Martin (Germany / Katusha) 13
5. Matteo Trentin (Italy / Quick-Step) 11
6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 10
7. Jos van Emden (Netherlands / LottoNL) 9
8. Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland / Team Sky) 8
9. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 7
10. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data) 6
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
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Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.