(Jan.22, 2021) Pakistan Telecommunication Authority reported the positive impact of Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System, known as DIRBS on its social media accounts. Some of the most remarkable achievements have been listed below:
- The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) collected a total of PKR 90 billion in customs duty from Jan 2019 through Nov 2020 on formal imports. This was PKR 68 billion more than custom duties collected in 2018, which was PKR 22 billion
- The import of mobile devices via legal channels increased from 17.2 million in 2018 to 28.02 million in 2019, which was an impressive 63% increase
- As of December 2020, 32.83 million devices had been imported
- 24.3 million fake/replica mobile devices were blocked
- 175 thousand stolen devices’ IMEI blocked
- Over 657 thousand cloned/duplicated IMEIs blocked
- Around 29 local assembly facilities were established in Pakistan
- Over 20 million devices were produced since 2019, including over 1.5 million 4G smartphones
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) launched a Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS) in 2019. Essentially, it is an automated means of registering mobile devices with the authority to curb the smuggling and illegal use of phones. Naturally, a lot of people have a lot of questions about the system, and if you are one of them, you’re at the right place. Stay with us as we answer some of the trickiest questions and queries that have been worrying you about PTA mobile registration via DIRBS and its process.
What is DIRBS by PTA?
The Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System, known as DIRBS, is a framework launched by the PTA in early 2019 to curb the smuggling of illegal phones in the country and ensure that all the phones used were legally registered and verified by the authority. This step also ensured that stolen phones were traced upon resale and often returned to their owners.
The ease and functionality offered by PTA’s DIRBS are expected to bring healthier growth to the cellular phones sector, with only legal imports being allowed after registration of the devices. This will preserve resources of the mobile operators, give better security to the people as a whole, and also be a means of generating more revenue for the FBR as the PTA mobile registration fee paid for each device differs as per its IMEI or model.
What is Device Verification System (DVS)?
While DIRBS is the framework launched by the PTA, it is actually applied via the Device Verification System (DVS), making it a means to an end. There are several ways to verify mobile registration in Pakistan using DVS.
How to Use DVS for Mobile Registration Verification?
The three major ways to verify mobile registration in Pakistan are via:
- SMS
- Online
- Android App
Let’s discuss how your device registration can be verified using each method below.
SMS
You can verify device registration by following the steps mentioned below:
- Go to the text message app on your phone.
- Compose a new message
- Type in your 15-digit IMEI number without any spaces or dashes
- Send it to 8484
This is the reply you should get if your phone has been successfully verified:
If you receive any other reply than the one above, you should get your phone registered within 60 days of using it with a local sim to avoid getting it blocked. If you discover that the IMEI is stolen, the best course of action is to report it at the nearest police station.
Online
Online mobile verification is a quick and easy process. Simply type your IMEI into the space provided after visiting the DIRBS website, as shown in the screenshot above, and you’ll be able to discover whether your phone is PTA compliant or not.
Android App
The Device Verification System (DVS) – DIRBS Pakistan is available on Google Play store and can be installed for free. Once it is downloaded, you can insert your IMEI into the space provided to get details about your device registration with DIRBS, PTA.
How to Find the IMEI for Your Device?
You will require your device’s IMEI number to verify its registration. This International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI, is unique for every mobile device. If you do not have the box for your device anymore, which originally contains this code, you can do the following to check the IMEI of your phone:
- Open the Call app on your phone
- Dial *#06#
- A 15-digit IMEI with a bar code will pop-up on your screen (2 or more numbers will appear if your phone supports dual sims or more)
- Copy this number on a paper or your device to send the message to 8484
How Do I Discover the Duty Being Charged on My Phone?
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has made it quite convenient to discover the duty on your unregister device. You can find out about individual Mobile Duties by clicking here, which will open up the screen shown above. Then, add your IMEI number, and you’ll get the results from the FBR’s official duty calculator based on your phone’s model.
How Do I Register My Device?
Similar to the DVS, there is also a DRS or Device Registration System online. Check out this guide on how to register your phone online using DRS. The video below is also quite helpful if you want to visit the franchise of a mobile operator for registration.
Discover the Jazz, Ufone, Telenor, or Zong facilitation centre closest to your home before you go. We also recommend following the steps to verification once more after registration to ensure that your device is compatible and registered with DIRBS, PTA.
This covers all of the major questions associated with Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS) by PTA. Got more queries? Check out the FAQ section on their site. You’ll also find general guides on how to pay your duty and the dos and don’ts of mobile registration on the DIRBS website.
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