UCC bans unregistered, partial registered sim cards

Mar 29, 2017

The body also ordered telecommunication service providers to deactivate the cards by March 29 at mid night.

Mutabazi speaking to media as Fred Otunnu(right) and Dr. Twinemanzi Tumubwiine (left)  look on. Photo by Wilson Manishimwe

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has banned all the unregistered and partially registered sim cards.

The body also ordered telecommunication service providers to deactivate the cards by March 29 at mid night.

According to Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi, the UCC Executive Director, all the unregistered sim cards that are currently on the market must be deactivated. He also ordered the vendors that sell pre-activated sim cards to stop.

"With effect from mid night March 29, no customer shall be allowed to register more than 10 sim cards on any individual telecommunication network," said Mutabazi.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference at UCC headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala, on Wednesday morning, Mutabazi said the telecommunication providers must provide a clear methodology for deactivation of sim cards so as to appreciate the cost and challenges relating to the same.

"The only customer documents that shall be valid for the purpose of sim card registration must be customer's national identification card or a valid passport," he stated.

Why ban?

Mutabazi told the media the unregistered sim cards are being used by criminals to commit crimes. He said UCC has learnt that numbers that used to send threatening messages to late AIGP Andrew Kaweesi were unregistered.

"With a passport or a national identification card, authorities can easily identify and get the criminal in case of a crime committed," he said.

Penalties

Mutabazi said any telecommunication service provider that doesn't deactivate the unregistered or partially registered sim card will be fined with money amounting to 10% of its annual revenue from sim card registration.

"We can as well suspend the operation license or take any other legal action," he stated.

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