DoT issues new rules for buying SIM cards

Taking new mobile phone connection from will require physical verification of facts provided by subscribers and submission of forged documents will lead to police inquiry. 

Tougher guidelines by the Department of Telecom, which took effect, make operators responsible for inaccurate information provided by subscribers for taking new pre-paid and post-paid mobile connections. 

Under the new rules, the authorised personselling SIM cards will have to give an undertaking that he has seen the applicant and matched the photograph attached on the application form. 
Retailers and franchisees selling mobile SIM cards will have to register police complaint against subscribers if they submit forged documents to get the connections. 

All the telecom operators across the country are required to comply with the new guidelines. 

"By and large we are compliant with most of the norms though there are a few areas for which we have sought clarifications from DoT like verification of date of birth and age," GSM industry body COAI director general Rajan S Mathews told PTI. 

He said the government has indicated that the operators have to verify certain documents which include date of birth and age of users. 

"We have asked DoT what should we do in case if the user has no documents related to his date of birth," he said. 

COAI is expecting a reply on the issues in the next few days.