BTRC begins mobile phone verification tomorrow

The telecom regulator is starting a verification process of valid mobile phones from tomorrow to curb the illegal mobile phone inflow, boost local mobile manufacturing and revenue collection.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will launch the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) on a trial basis for the first three months, enabling the regulator to make unregistered phones disconnected from the network.

According to the BTRC, the mobile phones that customers are using now will be automatically registered by today.

From today, the registration will be completed by connecting the IMEI of the mobile phone with the customer's national identity card number and SIM number. The new mobile phones that will be connected to the network from today will be initially activated on the network and subsequently, the validity of the phone will be verified through NEIR. If valid, the mobile phone will be automatically registered and active on the network.

"It will boost the revenue collection of the government," Shyam Sunder Sikder, chairman of the commission, told The Daily Star.

"If the illegal sets cannot operate in the country's network, the inflow of such phones will be stopped. And after launching the NEIR, the government will get revenue from each of the devices."