BTRC Will Introduce Mobile Phone Sets Lock Facility to Lost or Stolen Mobile Phone Sets in Bangladesh

BTRC Will Introduce Mobile Phone Sets Lock Facility to Lost or Stolen Mobile Phone Sets in Bangladesh

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BTRC bags Tk14000 million from sale of extra frequency 

System in offing for mobile phone users to lock stolen sets

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (BTRC) earned Tk 14000 Million through the allocation of some additional frequency spectrum to three mobile phone operators -- Aktel, GrameenPhone and Bangla Link.

Disclosing this at a press conference at Setu Bhaban in the city Monday, BTRC chairman Maj Gen (retd) Manzurul Alam said the cellular phone operators were allocated 17.5 megahertz of the total frequency spectrum, which will help them expand their networks in more areas. One megahertz cost Tk 800 Million

Hoped that this additional allocation would lead to rational access of the mobile phone operators to the national spectrum.

In another move, Manzurul Alam said, the BTRC is likely to introduce a mobile number portability and IME system under which the lost or stolen phone sets could be locked for others.

"Owner of a mobile phone set could lock his set immediately after it was lost or stolen," he said. "I am confident, we'll be able to introduce the system by December this year," the BTRC chief said adding that this would reduce the trend of mugging of mobile phone.

He noted that Britain is the first country which successfully introduced this system where about 20,000 mobile phone sets were either lost or stolen a year.

Apart from the frequency sale, the BTRC also earned Tk 131 crore (US$5.5 million) from a share transfer of Aktel to a Japanese company. Citing the experience of his recent Britain visit, the BTRC chairman said many British firms have expressed keen interest to invest in the country's telecommunication sector, particularly in call centre business. Six deals were signed between the British companies and Bangladesh counterparts who obtained the call centre auction.

"We're hopeful, the country will get huge financial benefit from the call centre business within 3 years," he said. He informed that BTRC would join a meeting of the South Asian Telecom Conference in New Delhi where the SAARC countries would try to introduce a common roaming tariff for the mobile phone consumers.

Manjurul Alam said so far, BTRC has stopped the connection of about 98,000 unregistered mobile phone SIMs. Replying to a question, he said the role of BTRC would not change if any new democratic government comes to power through the next parliamentary election.

"This is my expectation that the next government will continue to support BTRC as it has been working in favour of public interest," he added.

Source: UNB, Dhaka