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(ME)ID Required

The Problem The Solution Comments 55

What Problem? ESN History All About MEID What's the big deal?

If ESNs ran out and there was no standard to replace them, manufacturers would literally have to shut down production of CDMA phones. Each phone is required to have a unique serial number burned into its chips in order to prevent fraud. Without a unique number, the phone can't be sold.

If a replacement for ESN, like MEID, was developed for new phones, but carriers didn't have systems in place to support this, they wouldn't be able to sell any new phones. At the very least they would only be able to offer handsets from those manufacturers who could still provide phones with ESNs.

No one can afford to let situations like these occur. That's why manufacturers, carriers, and the cellular industry as a whole are working to make sure they can transition to MEID and provide constant flow of new handsets.

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