Now customers can apply ‘online’ for a new mobile connection and get a SIM at their home by verifying through Aadhaar or any valid document kept in Digi Locker. The Department of Telecommunications has issued an order in this regard.
New Delhi: Customers will no longer need to visit the shop for a new mobile connection. They can apply ‘online’ and get the SIM at their home by verifying through Aadhaar or any valid document kept in Digi Locker. The Department of Telecommunications (TRAI) issued an order in this regard on Tuesday. This step of the Department of Telecom is part of the reforms in the telecom sector. It was approved by the cabinet on 15 September.
According to the new rules, customers will have to pay Re 1 for Aadhaar linked e-KYC (Know Your Customer) verification of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to get a new mobile connection ie SIM sitting at home. The government has amended the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 in July 2019 itself to restart the Aadhaar-linked e-KYC process for issuing new mobile connections. DoT said, “Telecom service providers will follow the procedure for issuing new mobile connections using Aadhaar linked e-KYC.”
OTP system for change in prepaid-postpaid
The government has issued an order allowing ‘one-time password’ (OTP) based process of converting prepaid to postpaid and postpaid to prepaid. As per the order, ‘Mobile connection will be issued to the customers through an app/portal-based online process’. Under this, the customer can apply for a mobile connection sitting at home/office and get the SIM at his home using documents verified electronically through UIDAI (Aadhaar) or DigiLocker.
Currently, the customer has to go through the KYC process to get a new mobile connection or to change the mobile connection from prepaid to postpaid or postpaid to prepaid. In this, one has to go to the shop of the company affiliated to the concerned telecom service provider along with the original documents of proof of identity and address. The order states that the use of Aadhaar and other details electronically from UIDAI requires the consent of the customer.
