Telecom operators in Uganda are currently conducting a sim card validation exercise which is being supervised by UCC, the communications regulator.
Since the announcement of the exercise, a number of questions have arisen and some people are not sure of what the program entails.
Below UCC clarifies on everything you need to know about the program:
1 A customer who registered using their NIN and Name: No action required. You will not be affected by the upcoming deactivation. Note, no action is required.
2 A customer with more than one number of a particular network and has carried out biometric verification on any of the numbers on the same network dating between May 2018 to date: No further action is required.
3 A customer who used another person’s Name and NIN, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and register afresh.
4 If a customer used their name but another person’s NIN to register, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and register afresh.
5 If your Mobile Money is registered under a different name from your SIM registration, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and edit your details.
6 When you dial *197# and follow the prompts and find that there are numbers registered under your NIN that are not yours, these must be (Will be) deactivated.
7 If you registered your child’s phone number under their name but using your NIN (the Parent), the name should also have been the parent’s as well. Therefore, please visit the nearest service centre and edit the details as they appear on the National ID’s holder.
8 If you lost your National ID, NIRA will issue a confirmation letter attesting to your citizenship and that your registration information exists in the NIRA database. The NIRA letter can be presented to your telecom operator to secure a SIM replacement within 72hrs, given that your name and NIN were previously captured correctly by the operator.
9 SIM card purchased, upgraded, Swapped and or replaced between May 2018 to date will not be affected by the 1st May 2019 deactivation. (The deadline has been extended)
Please ensure to update your SIM card registration details Today.
If you received an SMS from MTNNotice requesting you to verify your SIM cards, please urgently visit any MTN Service Center or Dduuka with your National ID to complete the SIM registration process. pic.twitter.com/WLVHxKVdkR
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) April 30, 2019
10 If and when your SIM card is deactivated, you have the opportunity to reactivate the same by presenting a valid National ID for a fresh SIM Card registration.
For more inquiries, you can call or visit UCC. Phone: +256-41-4339000, +256-31-2339000; Toll-Free: 0800 222 777; Email: [email protected]
Read about how to verify your sim card here.
Related:
UCC: What we know about SIM card hacking
What you need to become a Mobile Money agent for MTN, Africell, Airtel
