Tuesday, February 4, 2014

SIM card or handset registration?

Taking time from Kangaluwi, and my mind meandered to ZICTA's Statutory Instrument No. 65 of 2011 relating to the mandatory registration of all SIM cards by Mobile phone operators in Zambia. And I visited the MTN website. Well, we are told the purpose of this is to regulate the ownership and use of SIM cards for legitimate purposes. 

The registration form available for download struck a sour note in me. And this is where I sometimes refer to a people as dodos. I am sorry if I sound offending. This law is about a SIM card, why then does the form ask for the IMEI?

IMEI denotes International Mobile Equipment Identity, which is the identification number of the mobile phone handset, NOT the SIM card.

Perhaps, I am wrong but can some one who has read the SI in full tell me if it also stipulates that subscribers should register their handsets? If it is the case, does it mean that each time one buys a handset they have to register it?

Shouldn't registering one's personal property be voluntary? That is, the handset, as a SIM card is simply rented or leased.

3 comments:

  1. And yet voters only register once in 5 years when people qualify to be voters every day. I do not trust the whole sim registration idea in this our Zambia.

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  2. hey nice post !!!!


    http://www.videocontelecom.com/prepaid-services.php

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  3. Hi Mbinji, very interesting post. Would you happen to know where I could find a copy of the Statutory Instrument No. 65 of 2011 for a closer read? I'm exploring both SIM and IMEI registration requirements.

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