Mobile phone users, who have availed the mobile number portability (MNP) service, are facing trouble in getting OTP SMS service from banks, and mobile financial service (MFS) and other service providers.
The assigned MNP operator, Infozillion Teletech BD Limited, says it has approached to the banks, MFS providers, like bKash and Rocket, and other service providers, who they claim are reluctant to cooperate, reports BSS,
“Customers are continuously filing complaints to the service centres for solutions, but we are totally helpless as it’s not in our hand,” Infozillion Managing Director Mabroor Hossain told the state news agency.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has also informed the issue to the Bangladesh Bank (BB), but the issue is still unresolved, Mabroor said, adding, “If such non-cooperation continues, the goal of MNP would be failed”.
One Anwar Hossain said recently he switched to another mobile network operator (MNO) availing the MNP service, but after the switching he does not receive any one-time password (OTP) SMS from his bKash wallet as well as his bank account which makes him confuse regarding any transaction.
Besides, the MNOs is also barring cooperate customers from switching to another MNO defying BTRC’s directive. The BTRC at a meeting with MNOs today set Feb 13 as the last date for allowing the corporate customers for switching, otherwise BTRC will do it by own.
Robi’s Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Shahed Alam in a statement said: “The biggest impediment to popularising the MNP service is the incidence of not getting OTP messages. Especially, in case of availing the Mobile Financial Services, this problem gets magnified”.
“Besides, the corporate customers are also suffering due to the process complexities in switching to other operators. Considering the speed at which our highly competitive corporate sector is accustomed to, we have already urged BTRC to simplify the process to make it very easy for them to avail the MNP service,” Alam said.
“If this impediment is not removed at the earliest, the MNP service will struggle to live up to the expectations,” he said.
On Oct 1, 2018, the much-awaited MNP service was launched, which has opened up the users’ freedom of choice in switching to any network, retaining the existing number unchanged. It was not possible earlier for the hassle of changing number. Meanwhile, the government has withdrawn, on condition, the value added tax (VAT) and supplementary tax imposed on MNP.