Indian Government wants to track locations of Cell phone users

                  

                      How do you feel if someone wants to track your location via your cell phone? We all know the answer of it. But all the Cell phone users of India must get ready to have their location and movements tracked by their respective service operators for national security purposes. Do you know what the worst part of it is? All cell phone users will also have to pay for it.

                  The Home Ministry and DoT have already told various mobile service providers to bear the entire cost of honoring a May 2011 mandate that requires them to introduce a brand new service, called Location Based Services (LBS). This service can be able to pin point a mobile’s location to as little as 50 metres only. However, this entire burden may be distributed on to the mobile consumers.

                   According to a latest suggestion of MHA, the operators may be given a green signal by telecom regulator (TRAI) to recover the LBS cost, which is estimated at $4-5 billion, from mobile subscribers through a nominal increase in tariff.

                   Though a senior MHA official claimed this would translate into no more than an additional 2-paisa cost, as India has a massive consumer base. The mobile operators demanded to share the cost with the DoT, but it has ruled out the proposal of sharing the tab. DoT is insisting that the license conditions restrict them from bearing the expenses on meeting the essential security needs.

                    A senior DoT official said, “Ultimately the consumer must bear the burden, whether by paying taxes or an increased bill. Rather than getting the entire country to pick up the LBS tab, only subscribers who avail of the services should pay,” The official also claimed that even cell phone operators stand to gain from LBS as, apart from helping in law enforcement and emergency services, it also has many commercial applications too.

                     Yet, the cell phone operators are not happy with it, so they are continuously dragging their feet over the quick implementation of the LBS mandate. It has to be mentioned here that the first phase of LBS mandate was to be completed by June 1 this year only. The Cellphone Operators Association of India (COAI) has asked a relevant question, why the operators should bear the entire cost when the national security should be a state responsibility.

                     Rajan S Mathews said, “Why should the operators be taxed unilaterally? As far as passing on the burden to the end user is concerned, even an one-paisa increase in rates can trigger a consumer backlash,”

                     There are three major issues of concern to be discussed thoroughly. The first one is the issue of privacy of the mobile consumers, the second one is the cost involved in making the LBS happen and whether it is right or not to leave the entire burden on to the consumers, and the third one is whether it is technically possible for the for the major telecom operators to do what is being demanded of them. Please feel free to share your valuable opinions with us.