The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is set to implement a new measure aimed at regulating mobile connections. Starting soon, the DoT will utilize photographs of mobile subscribers to identify individuals who have reached the maximum limit of mobile connections registered under their name. This initiative is designed to prevent these individuals from acquiring additional SIM cards, thereby tightening control over mobile network usage.
The system will include an image repository of subscribers with nine or more SIMs . The limit is six for subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East. Under a circular issued on August 17, seen by HT, DoT said its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) will identify and group mobile connections held by an individual across telecom service providers (TSPs). An individual can have up to nine mobile connections across all telecom operators and service areas, according to the 2012 subscriber verification guidelines issued.
“a representative image of the photo” means one photograph associated with a subscriber who holds multiple mobile connections, which will be used to help telecom operators identify that subscriber across connections, according to a DoT official.
The draft rules provide for a unique user ID linked to a person’s telecom connections across operators, with telecom companies required to use live photographs or other specified biometric attributes for verification. The system would also enable real-time identity verification across operators, require re-verification in cases such as SIM replacement and number porting, and allow the government to audit the system and seek user-identification records. Separately, the government is also expected to notify the Telecommunications (User Identification) Rules, 2025 this week, which propose a biometric-based system for identifying telecom users.
Telecom Operators Given Deadline for New SIM Activation Protocols
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced that telecom operators must implement photo-based identification for new mobile connections by November 30. This step aims to enhance the identification process for subscribers exceeding the prescribed limit of mobile connections. Initially, these checks will occur on a next-day basis rather than at the time of SIM issuance. Any SIM that is activated beyond the allowed limit during this interim period will be suspended immediately.
The DoT stated that the guidelines were developed after extensive discussions with telecom service providers (TSPs), addressing the challenges they face in verifying subscribers who either already have or are attempting to obtain multiple mobile connections.
