Page 258 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2024
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2024 ITU Kaleidoscope Academic Conference




           Create Lab has been teaching the public how to repair, reuse   1.  The target smartphones in the proposed model are in the
           and recycle EEE and e-waste in their communities [23].   low to medium-price segment i.e.  under Rs. 17,000.
                                                              2.  The  target  buyers  are  individuals  from  low-income
              4.  CHALLENGES IN THE EXISTING MARKET               groups, particularly those living below the poverty line,
                                                                  who cannot afford to buy new smartphones.
           The  challenges  facing  the  refurbishment  market  are   3.  The  proposed  cost  model  is  simpler  and  does  not
           multifaceted. Firstly, the existing refurbishing infrastructure   explicitly show factors such as transportation charges,
           struggles to extend its reach to Tier-3 cities and rural areas,   value-added charges, and data deletion charges, as these
           posing significant barriers for potential buyers and sellers in   are considered part of other cost variables.
           these regions. Secondly, the absence of a clear procedure for
           transferring  phone  ownership  raises  legal  concerns  for   5.1   Stakeholders in our Framework
           buyers, sellers, and aggregators (explained in section 5.1),
           leading to a lack of trust within the market and hindering its   The  “seller” is  any  entity such  as  person  or  organization
           expansion. Data security is another critical issue, with many   willing  to  sell  off  their  used  phone  in  the  market  i.e.,  to
           potential sellers hesitant to sell their used phones due to the   refurbisher, in exchange of a reasonable price offered by the
           absence of a framework for ensuring the deletion of personal   refurbisher  who  thoroughly  assess  the  phone's  condition
           data. The lack of a systematic approach for determining cost   based  on  various  parameters  (as  mentioned  in  the  next
           paid  to  sellers  and  setting  prices  for  refurbished  phones   subsection).
           further poses transparency and trust issues within the market.
           While  the  organized  players  such  as  Cashify,  Yaantra,   The entity “Point of Sale (POS)” is the location where the
           InstaCash, Flipkart Refurbished, Amazon Renewed etc. are   selling of refurbished phones and buying of old phones occur.
           more regulated and work according to government-led legal   Each Aggregator operates multiple POS situated in diverse
           requirements, the unorganized channel which dominates the   locations.
           secondhand  market  has  no  legal  boundaries  or  set
           rules/regulations,  thus  having  no  warranties  or  service   The term "Aggregator" denotes an entity with multifaceted
           guarantee attached. This further hinders the acceptability or   responsibilities within the phone refurbishment ecosystem.
           accountability of the secondhand smartphone market.   Firstly, it meticulously examines phones by conducting tests
                                                              and  assessing  their  performance  against  predetermined
           Additionally, insufficient awareness about recycling options   parameters.  Subsequently,  it  determines  the  price  to  be
           and  disposal  methods  for  used  phones  limits  the  entry  of   offered to the seller for the used phone, ensuring fairness and
           devices  into  the  refurbishment  market,  constraining  its   transparency in transactions. Additionally, it engages with
           overall  size  and  growth  potential.  Addressing  these   Point of Sale (POS) facilities to facilitate the purchase, sale,
           challenges  requires  concerted  efforts  from  stakeholders  to   and  scrutiny  of  phones,  streamlining  the  refurbishment
           enhance   accessibility,   transparency,   data   security,   process. Whether refurbishment occurs in-house or through
           environmental sustainability, and consumer education within   external  entities  like  Original  Equipment  Manufacturers
           the refurbishment market ecosystem.                (OEMs),  the  Aggregator  oversees  this  critical  stage.
                                                              Moreover, it upholds data privacy standards by adhering to
                            5.  THE MODEL                     guidelines outlined in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
                                                              mentioned  in  further  subsections,  ensuring  the  secure
           The  Proposed  refurbishment  framework  addresses  the   deletion  of  sensitive  information.  Furthermore,  the
           existing  challenges  in  the  refurbishment  market  and  also   Aggregator  is  responsible  for  establishing  POS  presence
           provides a streamlined process. This model aims to replace   across all designated areas as stipulated in the registration
           2  crore  feature  phones  per  annum  with  smartphones.  The   process, enhancing accessibility for buyers and sellers alike.
           model in Figure 1 describes entities of the framework and   Finally,  it  sets  prices  for  refurbished  phones,  balancing
           describes the flow.                                market  dynamics  and  consumer  expectations  to  foster  a
                                                              sustainable refurbishment market.

                                                              The  term  "certifier"  denotes  an  entity  responsible  for
                                                              registering  and  accrediting  aggregators.  It  establishes
                                                              guidelines for the registration process, certifies aggregators
                                                              based  on  specified  terms  and  conditions  concerning  data
                                                              deletion,  environmental  sustainability,  and  other  factors.
                                                              Moreover, it ensures rural coverage by imposing obligations
                                                              and  mandates,  facilitating  sales smartphones  replacing  the
                                                              existing feature phones in rural areas by conducting regular
                                                              audits of maintained records to uphold compliance.
              Figure 1 - Model Flowchart with All Stakeholders
                                                              Potential Sellers who wanted to sell their phones may reach
           Following are a few assumptions for the model:
                                                              out to the nearest retailer (POS) of aggregator. Retailer will
                                                              analyse the condition and performance of phone based on





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