A Central Equipment Identity Register is a database of the IMEI numbers of blacklisted handsets. If a device's ESN or IMEI number is listed on a CEIR, it is not supposed to work on member service providers' networks; only paying members may access the database.
There are number of features which are added to CEIR like extension which will collect and display the total number of handset manufacturer in the network and their growing individual numbers daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Also we can see MSISDN, IMSI used by the IMEI and search for which all IMEI was used with IMSI. Almost all the telecom operator in the globe is using Mitel EIR system which are stable and more customer friendly at customer end.
A common usage of a CEIR is with stolen cellphones. Once a user reports to their operator about the theft, the cell phone's IMEI number should go to CEIR, supposedly making the device unusable in any network (although this does not always work). A key reason this often does not work is that while many operators from many countries contribute IMEIs to the CEIR, each also have a unique profile that determines which operators' blocks will be included on the CEIR updates received by each operator. The UK networks for example do not receive those block records originated by non-UK networks. Annual fees are required for access to the CEIR, and access is tightly regulated Contributing operators decide for themselves which handsets they will block from their own networks, and many network operators simply do not participate at all.
Currently, the Central Equipment Identity Register is more frequently called an IMEI DB (database) system which means that it is a central system for network operators (those that have an EIR) to share their individual blacklists with one another so that service is denied for the particular devices that appear on that blacklist. The idea is for network operators to compile one global blacklist through the IMEI DB. However, there is no agreement on a single CEIR.
EIR
An equipment identity register reduces the threats of theft of handsets by enabling individual operators to prevent the use of stolen handsets in their own networks. This improves users' security by switching off stolen phones, making them useless (bricked) for mobile phone thieves and thus less likely to be stolen in the first place. As the number of mobile devices and messaging users continue to grow, they become a target for fraudulent and criminal activities. Mobile Messaging application and infrastructure companies such as Mitel, Primal Technologies, Svyazcom and Tekelec are examples of providers for Equipment Identity for worldwide mobile operators like Vodafone (Airwide), MTS (Svyazcom), 4GTSS and Cegetel (Tekelec) that deploy the lists for the CEIRs.
There is a TRA mandatory rule to use CEIR in the operator network to prevent the handset theft and cloning of dual SIM cards.