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Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said it will unplug all unverified SIM cards by January 31, 2023.
Phone users who failed to verify their SIM cards using the National Identification Number (NIN) before the deadline will have telecommunications services stopped for them by February 1 as part of measures to build integrity into the telecoms ecosystem and boost security.
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TCRA wants to deflect communication fraud and ensure user safety, Director General of TCRA, Dr Jabiri Bakari, said in Dar es Salaam this week.
“We are running a significant public awareness campaign that aims at reducing the number of SIM cards registered by third parties,” Bakari said.
All users who failed to verify their active phone numbers using their citizenship IDs or a NIN obtainable from the National Identification Authority (NIDA) will be barred from the national network after the deadline, the regulator warned..
He said many service users have been misusing their SIM cards by exploiting a loophole that allows them to remain under the registration of third parties.
“We want to ensure that all users are identified by their sim-cards, which are registered using their own national identification information and not others,” he added.
