In the wake of its announcement to ban mobile phones without the 15-digit IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number for security reasons, India's DoT (Department of Telecom) announced that it has granted a software developed by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and Mobile Standards Alliance of India in a bid to offer IMEI numbers to over 16 million Chinese mobile phones lacking IMEI numbers, India's Economic Times reported on May 5. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) operators will help Chinese phone users to upload the said software at 1,600 centers set up by COAI in India. In addition, users of Chinese mobile phones will need to pay 180 Rupees (US$3.66 ; US$1 = 49.25 Rupees) in order to retain their current devices and numbers. Telecom operators were expected to disconnect mobile services to Chinese phones without IMEI numbers on April 15, 2009.