DoT allows Aadhaar based eKYC of roaming subscribers in existing circle
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Sep 25, 2017, 09.06 PM IST
The telecom department has allowed carriers to do Aadhaar -based e-KYC of roaming subscribers in the circle where the subscriber is at present – without requiring them to go back to the circle where they originally got the number – and that telcos should update their records on the back end.
The DoT has also allowed telcos to use existing set of rules. The move is set to benefit a large number of consumers who are on roaming or, and out-station, as they won't have to go back to the circle where they got the SIM from to complete their Aadhaar -based e-KYC.
“The department is in receipt of various representations/ references from telecom industry and general public regarding difficulties being faced by subscribers in re-verification of their mobile connections while on roaming or while having different current residential address from the address mentioned in their Aadhaar ,” the department said while issuing the relaxation in a September 22 notice.
The DoT has mandated that the carriers must update records of the subscriber in the database of the home circle network, along with details of point of sale location where re-verification has been done.
All carriers have to re-verify their subscriber base, which totals to more than 1.1 billion, by linking the Aadhaar to the mobile number, and re-doing the know your customer or KYC process, electronically, as per the Supreme Court’s direction earlier this year. The last date for completing the task is February 6, 2018.
As per data from the Unique Identification Authority of India provided to ET, there was an estimated 128 crore mobile phone connections in the country as of July and 33.8 crore SIM cards have either been issued or linked by telecom operators using Aadhaar e-KYC – meaning a customer’s fingerprint was taken to authenticate identity. This translates to 25% of mobile phone customers in India complying so far.
The rest of the country’s mobile subscribers will have to line up at the service centres of telecom operators with their Aadhaar details and provide their fingerprints there or risk deactivation of their connections after February.
The DoT has also allowed telcos to use existing set of rules. The move is set to benefit a large number of consumers who are on roaming or, and out-station, as they won't have to go back to the circle where they got the SIM from to complete their Aadhaar -based e-KYC.
“The department is in receipt of various representations/ references from telecom industry and general public regarding difficulties being faced by subscribers in re-verification of their mobile connections while on roaming or while having different current residential address from the address mentioned in their Aadhaar ,” the department said while issuing the relaxation in a September 22 notice.
The DoT has mandated that the carriers must update records of the subscriber in the database of the home circle network, along with details of point of sale location where re-verification has been done.
All carriers have to re-verify their subscriber base, which totals to more than 1.1 billion, by linking the Aadhaar to the mobile number, and re-doing the know your customer or KYC process, electronically, as per the Supreme Court’s direction earlier this year. The last date for completing the task is February 6, 2018.
As per data from the Unique Identification Authority of India provided to ET, there was an estimated 128 crore mobile phone connections in the country as of July and 33.8 crore SIM cards have either been issued or linked by telecom operators using Aadhaar e-KYC – meaning a customer’s fingerprint was taken to authenticate identity. This translates to 25% of mobile phone customers in India complying so far.
The rest of the country’s mobile subscribers will have to line up at the service centres of telecom operators with their Aadhaar details and provide their fingerprints there or risk deactivation of their connections after February.
