Technology Desk: If you have more than one mobile number in your name or multiple SIM cards of different companies are used in the family, then this news is important for you. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has prepared to further tighten the rules regarding the limit of SIM cards.
This step of the government has been taken to stop fake SIMs, cyber crimes and misuse of mobile numbers. Under the new system, people who have completed the limit of 9 SIM cards will also be identified through photographs.
It will be difficult to get a new number after 9 SIMs.
According to the current rule, in most parts of the country a person can have a maximum of 9 mobile connections in his name. Whereas in the states of Jammu-Kashmir, Assam and North-East this limit is of 6 SIM cards.
Now DoT is going to enforce this rule more strictly. If a person already has SIMs in his name equal to the limit and he tries to get another connection, the telecom company will verify his identity.
Customer will be identified through photo
According to media reports, DoT, in a circular issued on August 17, has directed telecom companies to use photos available on the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP).
Representative photographs of customers who already have 9 SIM cards registered in their names will be made available to telecom companies from August 23. Companies will have to download these photos daily and use them in their systems.
Its purpose is to find out whether the person who has completed the prescribed limit is taking an additional SIM again through some other name or connection.
New system will be implemented from August 24
According to the instructions, from August 24, telecom companies will have to make necessary technical arrangements. Through this, customers who have completed the limit of 9 SIMs will be identified and they will be told that a new SIM connection cannot be given due to the limit being reached.
Initially this investigation will be done on D+1 i.e. next day basis. After this, DoT has directed the companies to add this system to the real-time system by November 30.
This means that in future, while taking SIM, the system will be able to immediately check how many mobile connections already exist in the name of the customer.
What will happen if more SIM is activated by mistake?
DoT has also directed that during the implementation of the new system, if more SIM cards are accidentally activated in the name of a person than the prescribed limit, then the concerned company will have to immediately suspend that excess connection.
Until the matter is investigated and resolved, additional connections may be barred.
This limit applies to numbers of different telecom companies. That is, if you have SIMs of Airtel, Jio, Vi and BSNL, then the fixed limit will be seen by combining all the numbers.
How many SIMs can one have in one person's name?
A person can have a maximum of 9 SIM cards in his name in most parts of the country. Whereas in the states of Jammu-Kashmir, Assam and North-East, this limit is of 6 SIM cards. This limit applies to SIMs of all telecom companies together. That is, even if there are numbers from different companies, the total number should not exceed the prescribed limit.
Why is the government tightening the rules?
DoT has been working for a long time to stop the misuse of fake SIMs and mobile numbers. In many cases, mobile numbers are used for cyber fraud, fake identities and other illegal activities.
In such a situation, the government wants that all the mobile connections in the name of a person should be properly identified and no person should be able to misuse them by taking more SIMs than the prescribed limit.
What if there are more SIMs than before?
If a person has more mobile numbers in his name than the pre-determined limit, he may have to surrender the additional numbers. Under the old rules, additional numbers could be switched off if the number of connections exceeded the prescribed limit.
Now with the new photo verification system, it will be easier for companies to identify numbers present in different telecom companies and service areas by linking them to the same person.
What will be the impact on common customers?
If you have 9 or less SIM cards in your name, this change should generally not cause any major problems. The problem may arise mainly for those people who have mobile connections in their name equal to or more than the pre-determined limit and want to get a new SIM.
The main objective of DoT is not to harass common customers, but to curb fraud and cyber crime through SIM cards.