Deactivation of unregistered mobile Sim card to start: Masiu

INFORMATION Communications Technology Minister Timothy Masiu says the deactivation of unregistered mobile subscribers information module (Sim) cards will start next month.
“Deadline still stands as July 31, 2020,” he told The National.
“We have not moved the timings, it’s still July 31 because we have extended (the deadline) from March 31, (to July 31) due to the Covid-19.
“We’ve allowed this as a period to use the service providers (Digicel, bmobile, Telikom) to send messages on the Covid-19.
“But when July 31 comes, that’s the time when we will make a decision.
“Whether we will continue to give some time or stop there and start to deregister all the unregistered Sim cards.”
Masiu urged mobile phone users not to use the Covid-19 as an excuse and start registering their Sim cards if they had not registered yet.
“As minister responsible, I am concerned that people are using these unregistered Sim cards to tarnish other people on social media.”
He said Sim registrations would help authorities track people in terms of social media use for misinformation and also for control.
“We have one more month to go,” he said.
“By July 31, we should be able to let the public know on the next step we will be taking.
“We have given enough time and by now, there should be no more excuses.”
Masiu added that the National Information Communications Authority (Nicta) would meet with the mobile network operators to get an update of this process.
“As it is, we have no update (from the mobile operators) on the Sim cards,” he said.
“We will be getting an update next week from all the operators.
“We will then give a detailed press release on where we are
in this very important responsibility.”
Kumul Telikom Holdings Ltd deputy chairman Rueben Kautu told The National earlier this month that they had been complying to Nicta’s regulations since the initial (compliance) date set in 2019.
“We have been compliant before the Covid-19 and hence we are compliant now,” he said.
“We hope that Nicta will not extend the date again.”