The Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) is all set to be fully implemented from Monday. An official from the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) stated that all the equipment required for MDMS has been imported and connected after five years of continuous efforts, and the system will likely be fully operational from Monday. According to him, the equipment for the secondary site, the container for the primary site, and other critical equipment have been imported and installed, paving the way for full implementation from January 1.

Earlier, the NTA had planned to implement the MDMS system about five years ago to curb the import of illegal mobile phones in Nepal. Due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the equipment that had to be imported from abroad could not be brought in time, resulting in a delay in implementation. Now, both its software and hardware devices have been installed in Nepal and its full implementation is imminent. The NTA has installed the equipment in a building in Chabahil.

The NTA officials have said that the MDMS implementation faced challenges and delays for five years due to the lack of necessary equipment. The NTA had earlier claimed on several occasions without installing the necessary equipment that the system has been implemented, and unregistered mobile phones would be blocked. The last time the NTA made such an announcement was on November 6. The NTA stated that the system was implemented on the same day, and in the first phase, expensive phones not registered in Nepal would be blocked.

About 10,000 expensive mobile sets were blocked for four days, as per the announcement. However, the NTA did not have a system in place to unblock the mobile sets after they were legally registered. Unblocking such sets became impossible when the system device itself was not fully connected. Finally, within a few days of the system's implementation, it was halted again, and until now, it has not come into operation.

Moreover, the NTA had also announced the implementation of the system in mid-August to mid-September last year. The NTA had also stated that the system would be fully implemented in mid-May to mid-June of the current year. However, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself halted the implementation of this system.

Despite the setbacks, the NTA is currently focused on registering mobile sets imported into Nepal in the system. However, since the necessary equipment has not yet been connected, the NTA is currently conducting the registration of mobile sets through the Government Integrated Data Center (GIDC).

The NTA had earlier claimed that these devices were in the process of being imported. However, without importing and connecting the device, the NTA repeatedly implemented this system and warned to block unregistered phones. MDMS is considered a weapon to control illegal and stolen mobiles. Mobile importers contend that most of the mobile phones consumed in Nepal come from the illegal market, estimating that 70 percent of the mobile phones entering Nepal come through illegal routes. The 59th report of the Auditor General in 2019 highlighted why the MDMS, discussed that year, was not operational.

Currently, the NTA has constructed an administrative building in Chabahil to house the system. Some of the system's hardware and management team are housed in that building, and a data center has also been constructed. The MDMS system, soft-launched on September 16 last year, was initially expected to be fully operational by mid-May last year. However, the implementation of the system was delayed under the instructions of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Subsequently, the NTA issued a notice on October 21, stating that all phones must be registered in MDMS within 15 days, or else the phones would be blocked.

Since November 6, the system has been partially implemented, leading to the blocking of more than 10,000 phones. Deepak Malhotra, owner of IMS Group, stated, “When the NTA suddenly blocked the phones, a sense of fear was created in the grey market, and illegal imports were temporarily halted. Strict implementation by the NTA created fear among illegal importers for a few days. However, that fear has now subsided. Now, we hope that with the full implementation of MDMS, the grey market will come to an end. Mobile brought from abroad without customs clearance will be non-functional. Mobile phones not registered in the government registry will also no longer operate in Nepal.”