NEIR launched on trial basis to block illegal handsets

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has launched the much awaited National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) system for identifying and blocking the unauthorized mobile handsets in the network.

Posts and Telecommunications minister Mustafa Jabbar on Thursday inaugurated the system on trial basis for three months at a virtual function with BTRC chairman Shyam Sunder Sikder in the chair, said a press release.

Posts and Telecommunications division secretary Md Afzal Hossain, BTRC spectrum division commissioner engineer AKM Shahiduzzaman and director general brigadier general Md Shahidul Alam spoke at the function, among others.

According to the release, the NEIR would play an effective role in stopping use of illegal handsets and reducing crimes related to phone stealing. It will also help increasing revenue collection along with expanding the domestic mobile phone industry.

The NEIR will synchronize the data of the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of the handsets, the number (MSISDN) of the SIM cards, and the biometric contacts of the customers with the SIM cards to stop the use of any fake or illegal handset in the mobile phone network.

All mobile phones currently active in the network have already registered automatically within 30 June. So, the users do not need to do anything at present and any handset currently in use will not get blocked.

If any customer buys any new mobile phone from 1 July, it will be verified through the NEIR system keeping the handset active. If the NEIR finds the handset legal, it will be registered automatically.

Customers can verify the validity of their phones by dialling *16161#. Anyone buys new handset through any means (shopping malls, online shops, e-commerce) from 1 July, 2021, s/he should check the legal status of a phone by typing “KYD<space>15 digit IMEI number” and sending the message to 16002 and preserve the receipt. A reply SMS will confirm the legitimacy of the handset.

The handsets procured from abroad can be verified and legalized by visiting the website neir.btrc.gov.bd and following it steps.