Mobile Sim
Activation now after verification
Mobile phone customers would not be able to activate their SIMs right after the purchase from October 12 onwards.
The subscriber identity modules (SIM) would be activated after verification of the information provided by the customer.
The mobile phone outlets would hence sell inactive SIMs. Currently, people buy activated SIMs.
The new decision was made to ensure security. The process would help law enforcers curb criminal activity through mobile phones as no SIM would be active or sold without proper SIM registration or information required, said experts.
In a meeting at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) yesterday, law enforcement officials asked telecom operators to implement the decision within the next three months, said BTRC officials.
However, mobile-operator officials said it was a challenge as there was no national database in the country to verify a person's identity. The National Identity card server of the Election Commission was not ready for use, claimed the officials.
A telecom official present at the meeting said the operators asked for nine months to implement the decision but law enforcement agency officials demanded it be done by three.
Mahmud Hossain, chief corporate officer of Grameenphone, said SIM sales would dip but registration would be confirmed.
He said the operators have taken this issue positively.
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