New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) is poised to implement new regulations for SIM cards starting December 1, aiming to combat cyber fraud. Announced in August this year, these rules specifically focus on the purchase and sale of SIM cards.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union communications minister, highlighted that over 52 lakh connections obtained through fraudulent means have already been deactivated during the announcement of these regulations.
The new norms mandate verification for all dealers, failure to comply resulting in a Rs 10 lakh fine. Bulk connections issuance will be discontinued, but individuals can acquire up to nine SIM cards based on a single identification.
Telecom operators will conduct dealer verifications, granting existing sellers a 12-month window to meet registration requirements. This verification aims to identify and eliminate unscrupulous sellers from the system.
For new SIM purchases or replacement, customers need to provide demographic details as part of the KYC reform, scanned via QR codes on Aadhaar cards.
Furthermore, a mobile number can only be assigned to a new customer 90 days after the previous user’s disconnection. SIM replacements require completion of the KYC process, with a 24-hour bar on outgoing and incoming SMS facilities.
Previously, the government introduced the Sanchar Saathi portal to report lost or stolen mobile handsets and launched the AI-based software ASTR to identify illegal mobile connections as part of earlier reforms this year.