BTRC finalises directive
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has recently finalised a directive for establishing a unique handset identification system by the mobile phone operators in order to track counterfeit handsets. According to the directive, the mobile phone companies have to establish a system to identify the International Mobile Equipment Identity under a central database.
The move has been taken as a huge number of fake handsets are entering into the country with unknown brand names, BTRC officials said.
‘Most of those handsets don’t have genuine IMEI numbers and it is impossible to identify those if we don’t have a record of the handsets entering into the country,’ a BTRC official told New Age on Sunday.
A lot of cheap handset brands are becoming popular among the people, especially among the low-income group, which does not have the genuine identification numbers, he said.
‘Although the handset importers takes BTRC permission for importing those handsets but the BTRC can only check samples. The samples are found complaint but we cannot check the entire lot. So if we have registry software with the operators, we will be able to build a database and track those sets,’ the official said.
The lost handsets will also be tracked if the system is implemented even if the handset remains switched off, he said.
‘The government and law enforcing agencies often fail to track criminals involved in teasing, blackmailing and demanding ransom over mobile phones as the criminals switch off the numbers used for the purpose. If the system is implemented, beside the numbers, the police can also track the handsets used for the crime,’ he said.
The system will also automatically bar the forged IMEI handsets from entering the mobile operators’ network because of the registry system, the official also said.
‘So, stolen or false IMEI handsets will be invalid which will reduce such activities,’ he said.
The BTRC has almost finalised the draft and will publish it shortly for the public opinion, the official said.
Earlier in May, the telecom regulator initiated a move to formulate a guideline to introduce type-based approval for importing mobile handsets.
As per the existing rule, the vendors have to take NOCs from the BTRC for importing mobile handsets.
Under the type-based approval system the BTRC will approve importing handsets based on configuration and any vendor can import those handsets without taking BTRC approval individually.
To implement type-based approval the registration system of the handsets need to be implemented in order to secure the wholesale approval system from misuse, the BTRC officials said.
In April 2012, the BTRC seized 83,000 such handsets at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. In the same month the BTRC also seized 2,600 counterfeit handsets from a shop at Motalib Plaza of the Hatirpul area in the capital.
-With New Age input
