Martin Endjala
The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has warned citizens whose SIM cards are not registered by 31 December 2023, that their cards will be suspended for three months.
According to CRAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Emilia Nghikembua, the SIM card registration conditions mandate users to register their SIM cards with their mobile service provider.
Nghikembua stated that after 31 December 2023, unregistered SIM cards will be suspended for three months, and if a customer attempts to use the service during the suspension period, they only 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.
If the suspension period expires without registration, the mobile service provider will cancel the service and number. The customer must then purchase and register a new SIM card, which shall result in the customer losing the previous mobile number,” warned Nghikembua.
She urged people to register their SIM cards before 31 December 2023 and not wait for the three-month suspension period.
Meanwhile, CRAN indicated that of an estimated 2,436,367 active SIM cards across all licensed networks in Namibia, only 1,043,144 were registered, signifying a 43 percent registration rate. However, despite a sizable number of unregistered SIM cards, there has been a substantial increase in SIM card registrations since 30 September 2023, rising from 33 percent to the current 43 percent as of 30 November 2023.
This she said, indicates a positive trend in SIM card registration across various operators, highlighting an encouraging progress within the review timeframe. Furthermore, she explained that SIM card registration is a national initiative aimed at facilitating the investigation of crimes committed with the aid of telecommunications devices and enhancing e-commerce activities and online trading.
Moreover, there are also benefits and use cases that are directly facilitated by the registration of digital identities, adding that there has been an increase in the use of digital and/or online services, providing opportunities for Namibians to embrace virtual teaching and learning, mobile banking and online shopping just to mention a few.
