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Ministry limits numbers of subscriptions by prepaid phone users
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An individual can use his/her personal information to subscribe to a maximum of three prepaid SIM cards from each mobile network provider, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has ruled.


An exception is made for those authorized to subscribe to the service for representatives of agencies or organizations, according to new regulations issued by the ministry on Wednesday.

The regulations ban subscribers from using others’ name, date of birth and ID card or passport number to buy prepaid SIM cards.

Using one’s own personal info to subscribe for others has also been ruled illegal unless the subscribers are parents or guardians registering for users below 14 years of age.

According to a government decree released last month that will take effect on July 15, anyone caught using another person’s ID card number to register a SIM card will be fined from VND2-5 million (US$117- 292).

Under the new regulations, prepaid mobile phone users are responsible for the authenticity of their registered information and have to inform network providers of any change in the SIM cards’ ownership.

They can report to authorities any misconduct by service providers or other users in collecting, storing and using their information.

From January 1, 2010, anyone caught falsifying information on their registration forms will have the service cut off.

Service providers and retailers are also barred from activating SIM cards when the subscribers haven’t registered their information, and from disclosing or using the information for illegal purposes.

The ministry has ordered all prepaid subscribers to register their SIM cards by providing their name, date of birth and ID card or passport number by Tuesday, June 30.

The move is part of an effort to track down companies and individuals who send out large volumes of unsolicited text messages and to hold them accountable.

Network providers, however, have said most subscribers have not yet registered their personal information, or have provided false information.

Company officials also say many SIM cards have been registered using false information.

People who began using prepaid phones from the beginning of 2008 were required to register their SIM cards at the time of purchase, but many card retailers allowed customers to use false information or that of the retailers, the ministry had reported early this year.

Moreover, retailers have registered a large number of SIM cards themselves using old customers’ info and have then resold them.

Reported by Truong Son