Millions face big SIM card blackout

30 June 2011 - 02:01 By RETHA GROBBELAAR and ZWANGA MUKHUTHU
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Image: MARIANNE SCHWANKHART. 01/02/2009. © The Times

A total of 2.7 million South Africans have yet to register their SIM cards and will have their services cut off if they don't do it by midnight, the Department of Communications warned yesterday.

Deputy minister of Communications Obed Bapela yesterday said that, according to the latest figures, 95% of subscribers had registered their SIM cards under the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act.

He said the majority of those who had failed to register their SIM cards were in Gauteng.

People who do not register their SIM cards - whether they are used for mobile telephony or data - by midnight will not be able to make or receive calls or send SMSs.

Those who miss tonight's deadline can, however, still register their SIM cards and have their services reactivated.

Bapela said 98% of MTN's contract customers and 96% of the network's prepaid customers had registered their SIM cards.

About 98% of Vodacom's contract subscribers and 93% of its prepaid customers had also registered, while 99% of Cell C's contract subscribers and 94% of its prepaid customers have done the same.

Bapela said all 8ta's subscribers had been registered as the network operator was launched after Rica had been implemented.

Bapela said: "People think they won't be blocked, so they are relaxed. Come midnight, they will be disconnected."

He said mobile operators have guaranteed that details of customers will be kept confidential.

SIM cards are also used in tracking devices, alarm systems, some electric gates and traffic lights.

These SIM cards also need to be registered, said Karel Pienaar, MTN SA managing director.

Harry Louw, managing director of Altech Netstar, said all SIM cards in their tracking devices complied with the legislation.

Tracker also said all its SIM cards had been registered.

Pienaar said security companies also had to register SIM cards used in alarm systems.

"To our knowledge, everyone has done this."

About 10% of traffic lights use SIM cards. All municipalities have registered these SIM cards, according to Pienaar.

Electric gates using remote controls don't utilise SIM cards.

However, electric gates in certain townhouse complexes and gated communities use SIM cards that also need to be registered.

Cellphone outlets were yesterday flooded with customers who wanted to register their SIM cards.

Sfiso Vilakazi, manager of an MTN store in Rosebank, said more than 1000 customers had registered their SIM cards between Tuesday and yesterday.

"We were registering about 200 people on a monthly basis before this week. We are seriously overwhelmed," he said.

  • To find out if your SIM card has been registered, SMS Rica to 31050 if you are a Vodacom customer, call *133*7422# if you are a Cell C subscriber or *131*4# if you use MTN services. Otherwise click here.
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