SIM Streamlining: BTRC to Reduce SIM Registration Limit per ID Up to 10 instead of 15
Starting from August 1, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will begin implementing a policy to reduce the number of mobile SIMs allowed per national ID from 15 to 10. However, subscribers will have until November to voluntarily deactivate any excess SIMs beyond the new limit.
According to BTRC sources, the initiative follows the decision made in its 296th Commission Meeting held in May. A formal announcement will be issued before the deactivation process begins. The entire implementation process is expected to take five to six months.
Once enforced, an estimated 6.7 million SIMs will be deactivated from approximately 2.6 million users who currently exceed the upcoming limit.
Mobile operators are expected to publish notices on their websites in August, informing customers about the deactivation process. Additionally, BTRC will conduct a public awareness campaign through print, electronic, and online media.
Earlier, BTRC had planned to issue specific directives to mobile operators by July 15, but the operators reported that they had not yet received any official communication.
As per BTRC data, Bangladesh currently has 67,592,745 registered SIM users. Among them, 80.32 percent have five or fewer SIMs under their ID, 16.23 percent use six to ten SIMs, and only 3.45 percent use between eleven and fifteen SIMs.
The initiative aims to tighten SIM regulation and enhance digital security by reducing the misuse of multiple SIM registrations under a single identity.
