Customer identity must in free Wifi: BTRC

The telecom regulator has directed all the internet service providers to incorporate one time password for the free Wifi hotspots across the country for listing the users’ identification on security ground.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission issued the directive yesterday to all internet service providers (ISP) and internet gateway operators and asked them to preserve the user-list of at least 12 months, which will also help the law enforcing agencies to detect the real users.

In a meeting with the internet business entities few days ago, law enforcing agencies suggested them to protect all the free Wifi hotspots which are probably one of the sources of using internet for wrong doings, said MA Hakim, president of Internet Service Providers’ Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB).

“May be following that meeting BTRC directed the operators to ensure users’ identity for free Wifi usage,” said Hakim.

The telecom watchdog also directed all the ISPs to comply with this directive by April 15, reads the order.

In that same order, BTRC asked cybercafés to install CCTV cameras and register customers’ identities with their verified mobile numbers.

BTRC also sent copies of the letter to police, Rapid Action Battalion and other law enforcing agencies to run drives against unauthorised ISP’s.