Gionee India ready to support government move to make panic button mandatory

NEW DELHI: Handset-maker company Gionee India said that as a manufacturer we are happy to support the initiative taken by the government and are more than willing to provide the needed security through our devices to the citizens specially women on the government India's notification to implant panic button in mobile handsets.

“Gionee devices already have an advance GPS system and incorporating the panic button will mean slight modification on the software end. This move will certainly bring in more security for our customers and whenever required our handsets would be ready to comply with the Government notification to make the panic button and GPS mandatory,” said Arvind R Vohra, Country CEO & MD for Gionee India.

Three days ago, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has notified the “Panic Button and Global Positioning System in Mobile Phone Handsets Rules 2016”.

Accordingly, the DoT has notified the rules on panic button vide notification dated 22nd April, 2016 issued under section 10 of the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act 1933. Under these rules, w.e.f. 1.1.2017, all feature phones will have the facility of panic button configured to the numeric key 5 or 9 and all smart phones will have the panic button configured to three times short pressing of the on-off button. Further, w.e.f. 1.1.2018, all mobile phones will be required to have the facility of identifying the location through satellite based GPS.