The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) has fixed 31 July 2013 as the deadline for all mobile subscribers to register their SIM cards
RURA stated that the six-month exercise for registration of all SIM cards in Rwanda will kick off on 4 February 2012.
Rwanda is the only remaining member of the East African Community that has not implemented the process of SIM card registration.
RURA director general Francois Regis Gatarayiha said that all mobile phone users must register their SIM cards within the six-month time period with their respective mobile service providers.
“The SIM cards that are not be registered by the said date will be deactivated and disconnected from their telecommunication networks and will only be restored after they are registered,” he remarked.
Gatarayiha said that all new and existing mobile phone numbers will have to be registered to be active on a mobile network.
“The need to register SIM cards is due to public security concern to curb criminal acts made using cell phones," he explained.
The RURA director general observed that due to recent developments of mobile applications such as mobile money, and other transactions made using cell phones, many countries across the world have embarked on registering mobile customers to establish a link between the SIM card and identification details of its holder.
According to RURA, the registration will be free of charge and the institution will carry out awareness campaigns to enable people to understand and participate in the exercise.
