Junk SIM cards are a social problem, causing unexpected consequences. — Photo thanhnien.vn

Telecommunication service providers this month will review list of people who register three or four mobile SIMs.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has sent a document, asking telecommunication service providers to strictly manage the SIM registration of subscribers.

Accordingly, network operators must conduct checks on individual and organisational customers who own four to nine mobile SIMs before April 15 in order to ensure complete and accurate information in accordance to regulations and verify whether the SIMs are still active.

Users will be responsible in case the subscription number in their name is used for illegal acts.

At the same time, providers must deactivate all mobile SIMs that have been registered but not been used and are likely to be used for malicious purposes, ensuring that mobile SIMs sold at telecommunications stores do not pre-enter subscription information before activation.

Mobile SIMs can only be activated and developed by the telecommunications enterprises after implementing solutions to ensure subscriber information is complete and accurate according to regulations and matches the national population database.

If it is discovered that mobile SIMs sold or provided at telecommunications stored have subscriber information available before being activated and put into use, or are activated and put into use but the information registered does not match the national population database, the MIC will assigned its inspectorate to conduct inspections and handle violations.

Violating service providers will be punished with the highest penalty - suspension of new subscriber registration. At the same time, there will be a written warning to the businesses and a report to the Prime Minister to consider disciplining the head of the violating enterprise.

This is a necessary activity in controlling and managing the use of mobile SIMs in Việt Nam, to ensure legitimacy and minimise the situation of junk SIMs on the market.

Explaining the situation of spam calls that still exists, Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) quoted Nguyễn Phong Nhã, deputy director of the MIC’s Việt Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA), as saying that the resolution process must be carried out step by step.

Businesses have completed the review and ensured that the information of 125 million active subscribers matches the national population database last year.

However, in reality, the market still has SIM cards that have pre-entered subscription information, pre-activated mobile services on distribution channels, and telecommunications service points where people can buy and use without registering information according to regulations.

In other words, there are still junk SIM cards, so the situation of spam messages, spam calls, fraudulent messages and calls still exists, becoming a social problem and causing unexpected consequences.

The MIC conducted checks on individuals and organisations that own 10 SIMs or more in May last year.

Through review, 8.6 million violating subscribers were discovered and promptly handled. Up to 3.6 million of them had completed updating their registration information by September last year.

The remaining subscribers have been handled by one-way blocking, two-way blocking or revocation. — VNS