SIM card dealers will be inspected to prevent junk SIMs and standardise mobile phone subscribers' information. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Sơn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Information and Communication has launched a sweeping investigation into SIM card dealers suspected of selling pre-activated SIM cards, which has contributed to a large number of 'junk' SIM cards on the market.

From April 5 to June 5, the ministry will conduct large-scale inspections into the management of mobile subscriber information, focusing on SIM card dealers who have registered many SIM cards.

The threshold for registration is 50 SIM cards for enterprises and organisations and 20 SIM cards for individuals.

The ministry has instructed local information and communication departments to collaborate with enterprises and organisations that register a high volume of SIM cards.

If they cannot provide clear subscriber information, their telecommunications services will be suspended.

This was the second large-scale inspection carried out by the ministry with a focus on SIM card dealers. The previous inspection was carried out in late 2019, which fined 12 branches of telecommunications companies and 21 service points a total of more than VNĐ417million.

The ministry said dealers registering many SIM cards and selling them on the market would be strictly punished. Individuals who abetted SIM card dealers in the registration would also be punished.

The ministry previously estimated that the number of SIM cards with incorrect information totalled around 26 million, or a quarter of the total number of mobile subscribers in 2020.

With efforts to standardise mobile subscribers' information, the number of SIM cards with incorrect information reduced to about 1.67 million as of the end of March, which had outgoing service locked.

Two-way services would be locked if subscribers did not verify the information by April 15, and the numbers would be revoked if subscribers failed to update the information by May 15.

Experts said it’s a good time to tighten the registration of new SIM cards by asking new subscribers to register directly with the telecom services providers for activation.

Statistics showed that Việt Nam currently has around 126 million mobile subscribers. — VNS

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