TRC implementing unregistered phone ban

Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has decided to ban the use of imported mobile phones that are not registered with the regulator, government portal News.lk reported on Monday. The TRC’s director general Anusha Palpita previously said that all imported mobile phones should be registered and are required to meet certain safety regulations, adding that the TRC will block the signals to the unregistered phones. The watchdog has taken steps to maintain a Central Equipment Identity Register, and all handsets failing to register will be disabled by blocking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers. However, a TRC spokesperson clarified that current users of unregistered devices will be granted a grace period allowing them time to register.