Drama Full CEIR System Could Result In Recession Of The Cell Phone Industry

Smartphone illustration (Irvan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Recently there was news that the IMEI information processing center system, namely the Centralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), was full and could no longer accommodate new IMEI data. What caused it?

According to reports circulating, this was because the machine encountered technical problems during initial operation. And this has an impact which makes the IMEI fail to enter. As a result, the SIM Card automatically cannot be activated and new cellphone data entered into the system also fails to get a signal, even though the gadget has legal status.

Director of the Electronics and Telematics Industry (IET) of the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), Dini Hanggandari, admitted that the information processing system would be paralyzed if the Product Registration Certificate (TPP) data was too full, while the system alone had not been fully realized.

It is known, based on the Minister of Industry Regulation No. 108 of 2012, business actors are required to enter data on the realization of imported TPP and production TPP to be uploaded into the CEIR system.

"We have not yet gotten the realization of the TPP, so we have entered the existing TPP into the CEIR system. As a result, CEIR is full and it is feared that it will be down due to too much (data)," said Dini in an online discussion some time ago.

Dini explained, the CEIR system could not accept TPP IMEI based on the latest TPP at the Ministry of Industry. For TPP starting on 23 or 24 September 2020, it cannot be entered into CEIR because until now the system has been closed by the All Indonesian Telecommunications Operators Association (ATSI), therefore the Ministry of Industry cannot upload the IMEI.

Dini added, one of the efforts made by the Ministry of Industry is that CEIR operators may immediately clean up an inactive IMEI or a cleansing system. So later the CEIR system will only be filled with the active IMEI.

Smartphone Vendors Complain about CEIR System

With this incident, not a few smartphone manufacturers are known to complain about this. Like the Mito cellphone brand which states that some of its devices on the market must be blocked and cannot get a signal.

"This has a huge impact on the continuity of our industry. We could be hit by a recession more quickly, if the system is not repaired quickly. Even though our cell phones are official. It shouldn't be blocked," said CEO of Mito Mobile, Hansen.

Hansen admits that this problem is the life and death stake of the cellphone industry. Similar incidents were not only experienced by Mito, but also other brands.

"I think this incident was not only experienced by MITO, I heard that my fellow national brands experienced the same problem," said Hansen.

He also hopes that related parties related to the management of the CEIR system can immediately provide solutions. And don't let this become a new problem for the cellphone industry, therefore he asked the government to help prepare adequate infrastructure.

"Don't let us get into the brink of recession sooner. So we really hope that the related parties will solve this problem as soon as possible," said Hansen.

On the other hand, the Director General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Technology of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Ismail, gave information that the CEIR system had been repaired and could return to accommodate the new TPP cellphones.

"The CEIR system can enter a new IMEI," said Ismail.

Currently his party is waiting for a list of the number of active IMEIs from the Ministry of Industry which will actually be realized in the smartphone market.

"We are waiting for the list from the Ministry of Industry which is now researching the number of IMEIs that will actually be realized in the market," said Ismail.