Cellphone providers break subscriber rules: ministry

The Ministry of Information and Communications reported that all five mobile phone service providers, which had been inspected by the ministry, violated regulations concerning the management of pre-paid subscribers information and had mishandled their mobile phone numbers’ bank.

The inspections were conducted with five providers that use Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) technology including Mobifone, Vinaphone, Viettel, Vietnamobile and Beelines. The inspections were done in order to reduce the existing number of false subscribers.

The ministry’s inspectors said that promotional competitions between these providers had led to the increase of false subscribers because the SIM cards were allowed to have three times the value of credit on them and could be used by more than one user.

Pham Hong Hai, director of the ministry’s Department of Telecommunications said the ministry will issue a circular that will require that promotion value not exceed half of the value of a telecom item.

“The circular will become effective in July,” Hai said.

The inspectors said another reason that led to the increase in false subscribers was that many subscribers’ personal information had not been registered. Tran Ngoc Tiep, the ministry’s chief inspector, said several SIM card dealers provide false information about subscribers, which they then pass on to providers.

Tiep said the ministry was determined to deal with this issue and he said that the providers and SIM card dealers need to effectively manage and register subscriber’s information.

After finishing two inspections, the ministry now has a database of subscribers who live in Ha Noi and HCM City. Deputy minister Le Nam Thang ordered the ministry inspectors to check the database with online subscribers in order to transfer the list to the Ministry of Public Security.

Providers also recommended limiting the number of subscribers that could register under the names of companies and businesses. They told the inspectors that many companies and businesses registered in order to have ‘nice’ or more favourable phone numbers, which they could then re-sell at higher price.

The providers said the ministry should require that registered SIM cards must be activated within a short period of time. The inspectors revealed that millions of registered subscribers are keeping unsold SIM cards, especially cards from Mobifone and Viettel providers.

There are currently 300,000 unsold Vinaphone cards in circulation. Pham Ngoc Tu of Vinaphone said that required registration and modifications must be done by users and dealers who sell SIM cards in order to reduce the number of false subscribers. — VNS

Tags: Mobile phone subscribers in Vietnam, Vietnam Telecom