UCC wants law to regulate simcard sale
Jan 16, 2010
THE Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) wants a law to regulate the issuance and sale of mobile phone simcards. The commission said the law should allow only telephone service providers to register and issue sim card numbers to their subscribers.
By Jimmy Muwanika
THE Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) wants a law to regulate the issuance and sale of mobile phone simcards. The commission said the law should allow only telephone service providers to register and issue sim card numbers to their subscribers.
The commission’s official, Patrick Mwesigwa, said the move would curb crime, especially those related to mobile phones. Mwesigwa added that it would also help in tracking down criminals.
In an interview with Saturday
Vision at the commission’s offices in Bugolobi on Tuesday, Mwesigwa explained: “In other countries like Tanzania , sim cards are issued only by service providers. They are not sold on the streets like here. Security-wise, this is a big threat and it is out of this concern that such a law is put in place.â€
He spoke at party was organised to bid farewell to Patrick Masambu, the commission’s outgoing executive director.
“Before acquiring a sim card, people will have to be registered after producing and depositing their genuine identities with their respective service providers.
“Thiswill help establish who owns which sim card number,†Mwesigwa added.
He expressed fear that the move would take long since enacting a law is a slow process.
Currently, the market for mobile phone sim cards is widely open. It is common to find vendors and hawkers selling the cards on the streets on Kampala.
According to Mwesigwa, it is the reason why sim cards are flooding the streets in almost all parts of the country and sold cheaply.
THE Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) wants a law to regulate the issuance and sale of mobile phone simcards. The commission said the law should allow only telephone service providers to register and issue sim card numbers to their subscribers.
The commission’s official, Patrick Mwesigwa, said the move would curb crime, especially those related to mobile phones. Mwesigwa added that it would also help in tracking down criminals.
In an interview with Saturday
Vision at the commission’s offices in Bugolobi on Tuesday, Mwesigwa explained: “In other countries like Tanzania , sim cards are issued only by service providers. They are not sold on the streets like here. Security-wise, this is a big threat and it is out of this concern that such a law is put in place.â€
He spoke at party was organised to bid farewell to Patrick Masambu, the commission’s outgoing executive director.
“Before acquiring a sim card, people will have to be registered after producing and depositing their genuine identities with their respective service providers.
“Thiswill help establish who owns which sim card number,†Mwesigwa added.
He expressed fear that the move would take long since enacting a law is a slow process.
Currently, the market for mobile phone sim cards is widely open. It is common to find vendors and hawkers selling the cards on the streets on Kampala.
According to Mwesigwa, it is the reason why sim cards are flooding the streets in almost all parts of the country and sold cheaply.