As the New Year rings in, one of the welcome changes that Indian consumers will witness include the way they buy SIM cards for their mobile connections. The department of telecommunications (DoT) recently released a notification issuing instructions to the telecommunication companies to phase out physical verification of their customers before selling them the SIM cards.
The Know Your Customer (KYC) verification will therefore be completely digital. The customers will then need to only show their photo identity proof and get the verification done digitally.
Undoubtedly, this will make the whole process of getting a sim card easier, seamless and far more convenient.
Phasing out of physical verification
Although some service providers have already started using the digital means to apply for SIM cards, the paper-based option has not been phased out completely.
Now as the New Year rings in, the old paper-based KYC verification will become a thing of the past.
The move is seen as not only a faster and more convenient way to get the new mobile phone connections operational but also a cost-saving mechanism for the telecom companies.
“Considering various amendment/changes made in the existing KYC (Know Your Customer) framework from time to time, it has been decided that the use of paper-based KYC process, as envisaged in instructions, dated 09.08.2012, shall be discontinued with effect from 1.1.2024,” DoT said in a notification.
The move is being seen as a way to cut down on telcos’ customer acquisition cost and to curb SIM card frauds.
The paper-based verification system entails filling up a paper form, pasting photographs and attaching the identity proof (ID) document and the address proof document.
It is worth pointing out that the department of telecommunication (DoT) tightened the verification rules for customers and points of sale (PoS) entities in a bid to curb frauds.
It was common knowledge that the mobile connections were acquired by fraudsters in collaboration with PoS entities and were later abused to commit crimes.
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Published: 31 Dec 2023, 11:22 AM IST