Telcos begin blocking unregistered SIM cards

The Chamber of Telecommunications has announced that its members (AirtelTigo, MTN and Vodafone) have commenced the blockage and deactivation of SIM cards that have not been registered with the Ghana Card.

The Chamber in a statement dated November 22 said the decision to block the unregistered SIM cards follows a directive from the Communications and Digitalisation Ministry on November 11.

“Since the 20th of November, 2022 our members have been blocking data services for all subscribers who have only completed stage 1 (linkage to Ghana Card) but not stage 2 (biometric capture) of the SIM registration process, as directed by the Ministry,” the statement noted.

It urged all subscribers who have acquired Ghana cards but are yet to complete stage 2 (biometric capture) to do so before November 30, 2022.

According to the statement, the Telcos will completely deactivate all subscriber SIMs which have not completed the biometric capture registration step by November 30.

It advised persons who need special assistance to register their SIM Cards to contact the National Communications Authority or their Mobile Network Operator for assistance.

“We are confident that the sector Ministry and NCA will announce measures to accommodate individuals who genuinely do not have Ghana cards, once ongoing consultations have been completed,” the statement added.

The Communications and Digitalisation Ministry on November 11 announced that SIM cards that have been linked to Ghana Cards but have not undergone the second phase of registration will be blocked from accessing data services from November 20 and completely deactivated on 30 November.

According to the Ministry, approximately 30 million SIM cards had been linked to Ghana Cards as of November 9, while 20.9 million subscribers had completed the registration process by capturing their biometric data.

 

Recent Articles

How to Know Your Calls Are Being Monitored

Our smartphones are like our best friends. We share our secrets with them, and they are always there for us.  They are like a...

How to Tell if Your Phone Conversation Is Being Recorded

Laws governing the recording of telephone conversations vary by state. If you suspect your phone calls are being recorded without your consent, first determine...

How to See Deleted Messages on WhatsApp (Android & iPhone)

You've probably seen other WhatsApp users delete messages they sent because afterward, they decided you shouldn't view them for whatever reason. Like many others,...

4 Ghanaian startups among 23 in Visa’s inaugural Fintech accelerator program

Global payments giant, Visa has selected 23 startups from nine African countries for the inaugural cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator, and four...

Telco industry pays GHS6 billion to government in 2022

Telecoms industry players who are members of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) paid a total of GHS6.07 billion in taxes, fees, levies and...

Related Stories