Mobile Number Could Become Identification Number

The mobile phone number may become an individual's identity number (ID) on account of its uniqueness if Alcatel-Lucent's plans materialise, the company said in a recent statement.

"We are working with the government of India so that mobile number can be used as ID number of a person," said Alcatel-Lucent India president Vivek Mohan. The company is a global provider of telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises and governments.

"It is significant as the number is unique and we already have around half a billion mobile customers in the country. It has the potential to touch the basis of human life, which is what an application should do," Mohan said.

"However, it is still at a conceptual stage," he added.

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According to Mohan, the situation was expected to change with telecom operators focusing on new technologies and applications that cater to the specific needs of consumers.

"People in the hinterland are not used to laptops but they find it easier to use mobiles. Post 3G, we can use mobiles to impart education. It is important to remember that technology can be an enabler and not just an end-to-end solution for people."

Maintaining that the next wave of growth is likely to come from rural India, Mohan said, "It is certainly not charity. It makes good business. It is the right time to develop such technologies and applications. India can actually become a hub for these applications." (IANS)