Telecom deactivates unregistered prepaid SIM cards – MTC reports 83.3% registration rate
Telecom Namibia (TN) has taken a proactive step to align with regulatory requirements by deactivating 191,598 unregistered prepaid Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, effective 1 April, TN spokesperson Nomvula Kambinda said in a statement.
Following directives from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), TN initiated the deactivation process, ensuring compliance with the recently implemented SIM card registration regulations, she said.
According to Kambinda as per TN’s records as of 31 March, the company had a total of 442,410 active mobile subscribers. Following the deactivation, TN will maintain a base of 250,812 registered prepaid subscribers.
Kambinda meanwhile said to reinstate service, customers with deactivated SIM cards are urged to visit any Teleshop to complete the registration process.
The deactivation of these SIM cards underscores TN’s commitment to both regulatory compliance and safeguarding consumer privacy.
Meanwhile, competitor MTC has managed to register 1, 613, 893, while unregistered customers are now standing at 323,236. This represents an 83.3% registration rate.
MTC Chief Human Capital, Corporate Affairs, and Marketing Officer, Tim Ekandjo highlighted “As per the Authority’s directive the registration process ended on the 31st of March 2024 following the extension from the initial deadline of 31st December 2023. In that sense, it now means that the unregistered customers will unfortunately be suspended from the network. The suspension, however, does not mean that their numbers are deactivated.
Ekandjo said on the contrary, suspension simply means that a suspended number will not be able to utilize any services for the interim until the owner complies with the SIM registration process in the next 90 days’ grace period from 01 April until 01 July, or as otherwise decided for by the Authority.
