Circular 08 regarding mobile information verification, effective from April 15, allows users to proactively confirm their registered SIM cards through the VNeID app for the first time. By the deadline of June 15, subscribers who do not comply with the regulations will face temporary suspension of their services. The new regulation aims to ensure that the SIM card registered remains in use by the rightful owner (the person in whose name it is registered).
In a statement to VnExpress, a representative from the Telecommunications Authority reported that over 93 million phone numbers have been confirmed as registered to the rightful owner on VNeID, with more than two million numbers confirmed as not registered to the rightful owner. Currently, around 18 million numbers have yet to verify their usage status, and will be temporarily suspended today to prompt users to confirm their status.
According to reports from telecommunications companies, among these nearly 18 million SIM cards, approximately 10 million are highly likely to no longer be in demand or may be pre-activated SIM cards (based on behavioral analysis such as no consumption activity or individuals holding multiple SIMs).
Mobile users are trying to call each other to check the operational status of their subscriptions. Photo: Trong Dat
The VNPT representative stated that starting at 9 AM, the VinaPhone network officially stopped providing outbound services (making calls and sending SMS) for nearly 3 million subscribers who are required to verify their information but have not completed the process. Meanwhile, since midnight, Viettel Telecom has suspended outbound services for over 5 million subscribers. Once verification is successfully completed, the services will be restored. If the subscription remains unverified for 60 days from the date of temporary suspension, it will be fully suspended.
For the 2 million numbers confirmed by users as not registered to the rightful owner and temporarily suspended, this group has 5 days to re-verify. After this period, if they fail to comply with the regulations, the subscription will be temporarily suspended and after 60 days it will be fully suspended.
If verification is not completed within 5 days from the time of full suspension, the phone number will be revoked and the telecommunications service contract will be terminated as per regulations.
During the total review of subscriptions in 2023, 6 million mobile subscriptions had their numbers revoked by networks and services were halted. This year’s review is the next step in establishing a “clean” subscriber database.
The new regulations on subscription information verification are being implemented in the context of the identification of unregistered SIM cards as one of the causes of spam messages, spam calls, and fraudulent activities.
