After the introduction of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system on July 1, 2021, the number of illegal mobile phone entries into the country almost went down to zero. This brought relief to the country's mobile phone manufacturers.
Before the registration was launched, the grey market (mobiles that entered the country illegally) accounted for around 53%. But the NEIR system has forced buyers to buy mobile phones made in the country and coming from abroad through legitimate channels. The grey market suddenly became almost empty.
Many mobile phone sets were also registered at that time. But the system was discontinued after a few days of operation. After a long gap, the authorities are now planning to resume the NEIR system.
"The mobile phone set registration system will be launched on July 1,” Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, Commissioner of the Spectrum Management Department of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), told Bangla Tribune.
In a views-exchange meeting at the BTRC on January 23, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak asked officials concerned to ensure that no one could use illegal mobile handsets in a bid to increase local production, employment, and exports. For this, the NEIR system should be implemented.
According to industry insiders, the number of mobile phone sets sold in the country was more than 35 million annually even some time ago. Currently, mobile sales have dropped to 20 million.
The local production of mobile phones has decreased at an alarming rate. Those concerned think that it has dropped to almost half because of the dominance of the grey market. They think the country's mobile industry will be able to sustain itself if the NEIR system is relaunched.
The BTRC is taking the necessary initiatives to resume mobile handset registration. The authorities are assessing whether to go after the rules and regulations followed during the first launch, such as the pre-registration of mobile phone users, time given to traders, baggage rules for bringing phones from abroad, and the rules for phones received as gifts.
However, it has been learned that BTRC will introduce a procedure for the customer to verify whether the mobile phone set is valid or invalid.
The BTRC tied up with Synesis IT to launch the NEIR system for the first time.
What was said about registration for the first time?
The authorities prohibited customers from worrying about mobile numbers that were operational or would be operational before June 30, 2021. Those would be assumed to be valid phone sets. However, the mobiles identified as illegal would not be closed immediately. The users would be given an opportunity to re-register the sets. Those who would not register their phones even with this opportunity would get their phones phased out.
Data of the phones launched on a mobile operator's network before August 1, 2019 and those imported through legal channels after that time would be stored with the BTRC. Others would face action, the authorities said at that time. If someone brings a phone set from abroad, s/he could register the phone by showing a passport, visa copy, product purchase receipt, etc. If it was a gift, the user should also have proof. But the phones that are cloned or have a fake IMEI number would not turn on.
