Lack of oversight on MNP creates chaos for bulk SMS service

A lack of oversight on mobile number potability (MNP) is creating operational hazards for the bulk SMS service in the country, said officials of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Bulk SMS services are used by banks and other corporations for mass communication with clients.

MNP is a service where mobile phone users can switch their operators without changing their existing 11-digit numbers. Mobile phone users have to pay Tk57 charge for availing this service.

“When a user switches from one operator to another without changing the number, the MNP operator should keep a porting update,” a senior BTRC official told the Business Insider Bangladesh.

“Now, your bank knows your number and is sending you transaction SMS, but as you switched to another operator and porting details have not been updated in any central location, you will not get the messages.”

The BTRC has asked the MNP operator to establish a central dipping platform and connect stakeholders, he added.

“Important bulk SMS like transaction details or verification codes are misplaced because of the lack of a dipping platform with the MNP operator,” the BTRC official said.

He also said that because of this issue, law enforcement agencies are facing problems while tracking extortion SMS or other messages which are criminal in nature.

The country’s lone MNP operator Infozillion was awarded the licence in December 2017 for a fee of Tk11.6 crore. The operator then launched the MNP service in October 2018.

The telecom regulator also asked the MNP operator to setup a content vetting platform where only BTRC can access and approve bulk SMS before dissemination.

A BTRC instruction in this regard reads that the overall service quality of bulk SMS has declined significantly due to such problems.

In standard practice, a third party — known as an SMS aggregator — buys bulk SMS from mobile phone companies and sells those to corporations. Corporations then use those SMS for mass communication with clients and customers.