The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged the Department of Telecom (DoT) to facilitate customers in obtaining new mobile connections through self KYC owing to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown and social distancing norms.
“During this unprecedented lockdown period, there are no options available for buying a new mobile connection,” the letter read. “Hence there is an urgent need to facilitate customers for obtaining new mobile connections through a self KYC process which can be performed by an end to end online digital process by the customer himself/herself.”
The letter, dated April 2, was written by COAI general director Rajan S Mathews and addressed to the DoT secretary Anshu Prakash.
It added: “Further, in order to maintain and practice the need of social distancing in time to come, the industry suggests that a self KYC process for issuing new mobile connections and SIM exchanges/swapping should be made available for the people.
“As you are aware that at present, due to unavailability of such a process, the public at large is being devoid of telecom services during the lockdown/curfew.”
The COAI letter detailed a process for DoT’s reference and added: "This process will not only eliminate the need for any physical contact but also ensures that the SIM is delivered only to the bonafide user of the service at the address mentioned in the Proof of Address.”
The country is currently in a 21-day lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown remains in effect until April 14. All services deemed non-essential have been shut until lockdown is lifted.
More than 4,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India and 109 deaths have been recorded so far.
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