The Mobile Telecommunication Limited (MTC) says it is experiencing a sluggish registration process for SIM cards at its various mobile outlets, as many remain empty, with 585,197 of its subscribers still to be registered.
“We have noticed that the public is not utilizing and taking advantage of the opportunity to register their SIM cards, as most of our MTC Retail Stores and enrollment centers in certain areas are empty or with a handful of people turning up. This has been the case since the announcement of the extension,” MTC’s Corporate Affairs Manager, John Ekongo, said.
He urged the public to refrain from waiting until the last minute to register following the deadline extension until March 31, 2024.
“MTC urges customers to come and register their SIM cards. The telco strongly urges the public to refrain from waiting until the last minute and advises people to take full advantage of the extended period to register all remaining unregistered SIM cards,” he said.
In an effort to remedy the prevailing situation, Ekongo mentioned that MTC is working with regional leadership to increase accessibility to SIM registration, especially for people in remote areas.
“Our efforts are ongoing, with more recruited mobile teams being deployed in the regions as of February 2024. This is in addition to our online registration platform and fixed points such as our Mobile Homes and other centers,” he said.
At the end of December, while announcing a three-month extension, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, said that 62.5% of SIM cards had been registered, accounting for 1,491,349 out of 2,383,920 active SIM cards.
Initially, the last day of registrations should have been December 31, 2023, and beyond that, mobile operators would have been compelled to disconnect all unregistered SIM cards. However, due to an overwhelming number of unregistered subscribers, the authorities made a U-turn and extended the deadline.
Mandatory SIM Card Registration is a policy adopted by several governments around the world as part of efforts to mitigate security concerns, address crime and enable the application of digital services.
