In 2019, Uzbekistan launched its national IMEI registration system (Central Equipment Identity Register, CEIR). The goal was to regulate the mobile device market and combat illegal imports.
Before CEIR, the share of «grey» phones exceeded 98%, and the government was losing tens of millions of dollars in tax revenues every year.
SC.Soft deployed the central CEIR and four EIR nodes in the networks of mobile operators. The system was integrated with customs, border control, Uzbekistan Post, the e-government portal, and the international GSMA IMEI database.
Key functionality included:
white, black, grey, and VIP lists of devices;
automatic IMEI classification;
support for additional modules (credit sales control, biometrics, eSIM, etc.);
a unified public portal for device registration and verification.
Results:
legal imports increased 70 times;
tax revenues grew 100 times;
the grey market was effectively eliminated.
The CEIR system in Uzbekistan has proven its effectiveness for the government, operators, and citizens alike. It not only ensured market transparency and user security but also created a foundation for new digital services.
