Sanjay Singh / New Delhi
Anticipating uncertainty around lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic, telecom companies have urged the government to approve customers for a self-KYC (Know Your Customer) process of issuing new SIM cards and port phone numbers digitally.
As India is in a 21-day nationwide lockdown customers are unable to go out physically at recharging points and mobile service centres to either get a new sim or to port their mobile number.
India’s telecom industry body, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in a letter to the Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Anshu Prakash suggested for allowing a digital method of processing
connection or porting requests.
The suggestions includes where customers would need to offer their details to telecom companies on their app or website. Besides a live photo, proof of address and identification will be recorded by means of geo-tag and time stamp.
Post lockdown, there has been an increase of over 30 per cent in internet traffic across the country including rural areas, as people are at home and are using mobile and internet consumers are consuming more of video content for their entertainment and for others on work from home.
However, telcos have stated that no additional spectrum is required to run their telecom networks.