Over 1.8 million unregistered SIM cards face possible disconnection when the deadline for registration, set by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), expires.
This comes as Katrina Sikeni, CRAN’s Executive for Communication and Consumer Relations, revealed on Monday that only 33% of approximately 2,789,580 active SIM cards across all licensed networks in the country had been registered as of September 30.
“The current SIM card registration rate of 33% as of September 30, 2023, may be attributed to, among other factors, resistance from local authorities to make registration points available, power outages in remote areas, and slow customer uptake,” Sikeni said.
“To address these challenges, the Authority has requested Regional Governors and Chief Regional Officers to provide free venues for SIM card registration in local authorities and assist with the dissemination of information and awareness among communities.”
She, however, said that unregistered SIM cards will be suspended for three months after December 31, 2023.
“If a customer attempts to use the service during the suspension period, they will not be able to use the service and will simply receive a warning message. During the three-month suspension period, the service may be reinstated, and the customer can retain the mobile number linked to the SIM card, once the customer provides the necessary information for SIM card registration,” Sikeni said.
She warned, however, that if the suspension period expires without registration, the mobile service provider will cancel the service and number, which will mean that the customer must then purchase and register a new SIM card, resulting in the loss of their previous mobile number.
She said among the approximately 2,789,580 active SIM cards, MTC has the most active SIM card subscribers, totalling approximately 2,353,298, of which 799,797 are registered, whereas Telecom Namibia reports 429,732 active subscribers, with approximately 117,585 registered as of September 30, 2023.
“Paratus Telecommunications accounts for 5,437 active SIM cards, of which 5,152 SIM cards are registered. UCOM Mobile Namibia (Pty) Ltd has registered all their 1,113 active subscribers.”
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology says that it has not deliberated on any plans to extend the deadline for SIM card registration beyond the cut-off date of December 31, 2023, despite concerns raised by some operators who have noted that the registration process is not progressing quickly enough, and are unsure if all their clients will be registered.
