Five SIMs can be registered against each NID: regulator

A prepaid mobile phone user can now register maximum five SIMs against his national identity number, down from 20 connections previously, the telecom regulator said.

No bar has been imposed on post-paid or corporate users, according to a notice sent to operators on Thursday.

In a notice in June, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission had said maximum 20 prepaid SIMs can be registered against each national identity number.

Even after the biometric SIM registration process, SIMs are being used for criminal activities and illegal call termination, officials said.

Lots of SIMs were re-registered without the knowledge of NID cardholders, they said. Mobile phone operators said the latest directive will create confusion among customers.

The chief executives of five private mobile phone operators in a letter to State Minister for Telecom Tarana Halim said the move will discourage digitisation. The operators requested the state minister to review the decision.

They said many people now use multiple devices, including mobiles and tablets, and 3G modems for their laptops and desktops. Services such as vehicle tracking and smart control for home appliances are evolving in Bangladesh through the use of mobile technology, which indicates users need multiple mobile connections, the operators said.

They said, as biometric registration is mandatory for every active mobile connection, many subscribers have to register their children's mobile connections against their NlDs or for their senior family members who cannot commute to the registration points.

The government first mandated SIM re-registration with biometrics in December last year. The six-month re-registration process ended on May 31 this year, and 11.80 crore mobile phone users out of a total of 13.19 crore re-registered their SIMs.