Unregistered Handsets: BTRC blocks 82k phones in two days
As a result, 81 868 new handsets were blocked from connecting to mobile networks on Saturday night by the telecom regulator. The devices had not been registered with the National Equipment Identity Register. From Friday morning, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission BTRC began blocking unregistered phones. According to BTRC data 1.45 million other handsets connected to the networks between Friday morning and Saturday night. Phone owners who attempt to connect to the networks with unregistered handsets have 12 hours to register them on the BTRC website. All active mobile phones registered with the NEIR by the BTRC were registered up to September 30, according to the BTRC. NEIR, the BTRC's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) database, is a unique 15-digit number that all phones in Bangladesh have. It was launched as a trial on July 1st, and was fully implemented on October 1. The BTRC states that anyone who accesses a cellular networ