Over 600 thousand Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards have been suspended from service for failure to comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) requirement, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has revealed.
The development comes after BOCRA mandated all communication service providers to undertake compulsory registration for all SIM cards. According to the Authority, the registration of SIM Cards is a critical step towards improving the security of communication network, combating fraud and ensuring that telecommunications infrastructure is robust and secure.
“BOCRA is pleased to announce that 86.18% of active SIM cards were successfully registered. Simultaneously, 609,222 of unregistered SIM cards were suspended from service,” said BOCRA Head of Broadcasting and Corporate Communications, Masego Jeremiah. Jeremiah said customers with suspended SIM cards can still recover the SIM cards by registering at their respective mobile network providers. “Failure to do that within the prescribed SIM card lifecycle period would lead to their SIM cards being recycled and reallocated to other users,” said Jeremiah.
Currently, the mobile telephony market share, as of March 2024, indicates that Orange is leading the pack at 43 percent with Mascom at 42 percent while BTCL is at 15 percent, and mobile telephone penetration is at 188 percent due to multiple SIM cards ownership.
And with the mandatory SIM cards registration, market share position are likely to change, as over half a million SIM cards remain unregistered and suspended. Meanwhile, BOCRA says it is committed to keep pace with industry trends and provide capacity to the sector for effective competition, which will lead to greater innovation, through close consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders to develop and implement dynamic regulatory frameworks which promote diverse, inclusive, safe, secure, and affordable communications services.
In addition, BOCRA says it intends to develop strategies, policies and programmes to localise communications infrastructure such as internet exchange points, data centres and related critical areas such that the country retains high internet traffic volumes. “This would ensure that value is created and retained within the territory of Botswana for prosperity of local entrepreneurs as well as enhancing security.” Though mandatory SIM cards registration is expected to counter cybercrime, instill confidence, trust and transparency in the financial and e-commerce services sector, and enhance national security and due diligence by cellphone providers, other school of thought is that there is no empirical evidence to demonstrates the correlation.
The development comes after BOCRA mandated all communication service providers to undertake compulsory registration for all SIM cards. According to the Authority, the registration of SIM Cards is a critical step towards improving the security of communication network, combating fraud and ensuring that telecommunications infrastructure is robust and secure.
“BOCRA is pleased to announce that 86.18% of active SIM cards were successfully registered. Simultaneously, 609,222 of unregistered SIM cards were suspended from service,” said BOCRA Head of Broadcasting and Corporate Communications, Masego Jeremiah. Jeremiah said customers with suspended SIM cards can still recover the SIM cards by registering at their respective mobile network providers. “Failure to do that within the prescribed SIM card lifecycle period would lead to their SIM cards being recycled and reallocated to other users,” said Jeremiah.
Currently, the mobile telephony market share, as of March 2024, indicates that Orange is leading the pack at 43 percent with Mascom at 42 percent while BTCL is at 15 percent, and mobile telephone penetration is at 188 percent due to multiple SIM cards ownership.
And with the mandatory SIM cards registration, market share position are likely to change, as over half a million SIM cards remain unregistered and suspended. Meanwhile, BOCRA says it is committed to keep pace with industry trends and provide capacity to the sector for effective competition, which will lead to greater innovation, through close consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders to develop and implement dynamic regulatory frameworks which promote diverse, inclusive, safe, secure, and affordable communications services.
In addition, BOCRA says it intends to develop strategies, policies and programmes to localise communications infrastructure such as internet exchange points, data centres and related critical areas such that the country retains high internet traffic volumes. “This would ensure that value is created and retained within the territory of Botswana for prosperity of local entrepreneurs as well as enhancing security.” Though mandatory SIM cards registration is expected to counter cybercrime, instill confidence, trust and transparency in the financial and e-commerce services sector, and enhance national security and due diligence by cellphone providers, other school of thought is that there is no empirical evidence to demonstrates the correlation.
