NEIR won’t push up handset prices: BTRC

FE REPORT
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has reiterated its assurance in ensuring that the introduction of the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) on 16 December would not lead to an increase in mobile handset prices, despite persistent concerns among buyers and sections of the handset trade.
Speaking on Thursday at a seminar titled "Importance of NEIR for Legal and Safe Handset Use" organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB), BTRC Commissioner Mahmud Hossain said the regulator had been monitoring retail prices of all smartphone models in the market so that no one could take advantage of the new system to raise prices.
He said a campaign was underway to promote that phone prices would go up once NEIR goes live, but the regulator was alert to any unusual market movement.
Mr. Hossain added that the government would hold a high-level meeting in early December to resolve the fate of the country's large stock of unregistered devices, which he estimated to be around five million units, with perhaps another one to two million expected to enter the networks naturally by the end of the year.
According to him, the BTRC has the technical capability to allow those phones to remain active, but a final decision must be taken at the policy level by the National Board of Revenue, which has already been informed in writing.
He expected an amicable solution to this effect for both the state and consumers.
Presenting the technical paper on NEIR, BTRC Director General Brig Gen Aminul Haque said it was a secure system and was designed with strong safeguards to protect consumers.
In a brief moment of humour, he said NEIR was safe "unless the BTRC Director General himself is compromised", before explaining that the system would allow victims of theft to block their stolen or lost handsets from home.
He assured that every device active on the network before the launch of NEIR would be granted permanent legal status.
Consumers will also be able to deregister a handset through a USSD code using the last four digits of their SIM number, the technical paper revealed.
A one-month window is likely to be provided for bringing grey-market handsets under regulation after the system goes live, it said, adding that BTRC again reminded consumers to verify IMEI numbers by sending them to the short-code 16002 before purchasing.
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