Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) has announced the start of its voluntary sim card registration campaign, which will run until the 1st of January 2023, targeting its over 2 million subscribers.
“At this stage it’s a pro-active exercise we initiated to offer sufficient time and convenience for our subscribers to register early before the mandatory registration kicks off in January 2023 as envisioned by the regulator Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN),” MTC Chief Human Capital, Corporate and Marketing Officer, Tim Ekandjo said.
Stating the benefits of having a registered sim card, Ekandjo said, “A registered card comes with security benefits – it helps prevent identity theft; forms the basis for systems that combat phone-based fraud; and it aids in combating cybercrime. Moreover, this is particularly essential given the high rate of this forms of crime committed. It also generally comes with convenience value of accessing electronic services. Especially now that more companies are upgrading their service offerings to digital platforms.”
This comes as the country has adopted mandatory sim card registration regulations this year, which come into effect on 1 January, 2023.
Namibia’s planned mandatory sim registration is in line with international best practice, with 157 countries in the world currently implementing sim registration.
The CRAN has warned citizens to register their sim cards in the coming 12 months or face service provider termination.
