Mobile phones brought from abroad will not be functional from July 16

KATHMANDU: Mobile phones illegally imported from abroad will not be functional in Nepal from July 16.

Such phones can be regulated as soon as the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) comes into operation.

Besides, the NTA has urged the general public to register the mobile phones currently in use in Nepal.

According to Achutananda Mishra, Assistant Spokesperson of NTA, the registration of mobile phones will increase the revenue received by the state and mobile phones will be safe.

NTA spokesperson Santosh Poudel informed that such rules are being strictly enforced to control criminal activities and increase revenue to the state.

According to Poudel, the mobiles brought directly from abroad will come into operation only after registering with the NTA online.

Although this rule is not strictly applicable to the currently running mobiles, this rule will be strictly applicable to the mobiles coming into operation after July 16.

As the company importing the mobile phones purchased in Nepal will register with the Authority, all the information will be with the Authority and since there is no information about the mobiles brought out, criminal activities will also take place from such mobiles and the mobile registry has been made mandatory for its control.

According to Meen Prasad Aryal, director of the Telecommunications Authority, the rules for mobile registration have already been in place, but now it is being strictly enforced.

Stating that no concrete decision has been taken to shut down the mobile service, he said that the mobile phone which will come into use from July 16 will not be operational without a registration.