Bahrain's telecoms regulator has announced that all mobile phones will have to be registered by the end of the year, with owners taking proof of identity to their local retailers to prove who they are. Unlike most countries which have required registration of mobile phones ostensibly to clamp down on claims of terrorist activity, Bahrain's regulator, the TRA says that its biggest problem are hoax calls to the emergency services and general nuisance calls.
Prepay subscribers will be required to register their handsets at a phone retailer from the beginning of next month and failure will result in being unable to make calls to the emergency services from the start of next year. Such a block though actually breaks the GSM recomendation which should permit a call to the emergency services, even if the handset doesn't have a SIM card in it.
Speaking during the press conference, Public Security deputy chief Brigadier Tariq Murabak bin Dayna said that some 500 people are currently awaiting prosecution for making nuisance phone calls.
It is estimated by local news media that the 30 odd mobile phone retailers in the country will need to deal with some 5,000 people per day over the four month registration period. Both Zain and Batelco have said that they will hire temporary staff to deal with the flood of registrants.
Most countries which have required registration of prepay mobile phones have seen a notable drop in reported subscriber numbers following the deadline as a large number users with multiple SIMs decide not to register more than one account.
On the web: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
Posted to the site on 25th August 2008
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/33221.php