No Bulk Connection, Mandatory E-KYC: New SIM Card Rule From December 1; All You Need To Know

Under the revised rules, the government has made verification of SIM card vendors mandatory and scrapped the provision for bulk connections. This strategic move is aimed at curbing online financial fraud.

New Delhi: India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is all set to enforce new rules for SIM cards, starting from today i.e. December 1, 2023. Although the Union government first announced these rules in August this year, the implementation has been postponed to the above-mentioned date. Under the revised rules, the government has made verification of SIM card vendors mandatory and scrapped the provision for bulk connections. This strategic move is aimed at curbing online financial fraud.

The government has taken these steps considering the severity of scams caused by fake SIMs and penalties for breaking these rules include fines and imprisonment. Here’s everything you need to know about the new SIM card rules:

Mandatory registration

• It is mandatory for telecom operators to register franchisees, distributors and point-of-sale (PoS) agents to prevent such agents from issuing SIM cards to unwanted elements and to those who are engaged in illegal activities.
• Every PoS agent has to register through a written agreement with licensees.
• In case, the PoS agent fails to comply with the new rules, he may get terminated or face a three-year blacklist.
• However, PoS agents have a 12-month window to follow the new registration process.