ID :
74081
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 22:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/74081
The shortlink copeid
Mobile phone service providers to ask for more time to implement pre-paid phone subscriber guidelines
Hanoi (VNA) – Mobile phone service providers have asked for more time to implement
pre-paid phone subscriber guidelines just a few days before the deadline.
As instructed in a Ministry of Information and Communications circular, as of
August 10 individuals will only be permitted to subscribe for a maximum of three
phone numbers per mobile service provider. User registration will be required
with proof of ID.
This new regulation is expected to curb the exponential expansion of the prepaid
SIM card market. While there are a limited number of new phone numbers available,
many people choose to buy new SIM cards rather than adding money to their
existing cards in order to take advantage of attractive promotions.
Military-run Viettel, one of the largest mobile phone service providers, says it
finds this new rule difficult to implement because the company currently has
millions of subscribers who have registered at least three numbers, according to its
Deputy Director Nguyen Viet Dung.
“The process of registering those subscribers is extremely complicated. To
immediately deactivate all their numbers is not a reasonable solution,” Dung
said.
Viettel, along with its competitors Vinaphone and MobiFone, agrees that they can
not tighten control on new subscribers beginning on Aug. 10. They would need more
time and additional guidelines from MIC to deal with subscribers who violate the
system once the rule takes effect.
Tran Thanh Son, who has three different phone numbers, said “Communication is
vital to my job as an event organiser, I think it’s rare for people to use more
than three permanent numbers for work. Three numbers for me is enough.”
Meanwhile, the regulation will also require new subscribers to bring their IDs or
passports directly to authorised shops when they purchase SIM cards, rather than
sending an SMS with unverified personal information to SMS centres.
According to the new rule, mobile phone service providers are only allowed to
receive registration information from authorised dealers. However, providers are
not always sure what organisations are legally authorised dealers.
Authorised dealers in big cities are required to have interest connections. In
smaller cities or rural areas, they are required to have at least one of the
following communication tools: telephone, fax machine, mobile phone or computer.
This will create difficulties for providers, according to Dung, when setting up
computers for authorised shops. Dealers can be authorised to sell SIM cards for
more than one provider. It would be wasteful for the providers to give the shops
a computer.
But it is proving to be difficult for all of the providers to come to mutual
agreement on this issue.
“Another question is whether or not a dealer has the skills to use a computer,
leading to potential requirements for phone companies to take responsibility for
providing computer training to their dealers,” said Dung.-Enditem
pre-paid phone subscriber guidelines just a few days before the deadline.
As instructed in a Ministry of Information and Communications circular, as of
August 10 individuals will only be permitted to subscribe for a maximum of three
phone numbers per mobile service provider. User registration will be required
with proof of ID.
This new regulation is expected to curb the exponential expansion of the prepaid
SIM card market. While there are a limited number of new phone numbers available,
many people choose to buy new SIM cards rather than adding money to their
existing cards in order to take advantage of attractive promotions.
Military-run Viettel, one of the largest mobile phone service providers, says it
finds this new rule difficult to implement because the company currently has
millions of subscribers who have registered at least three numbers, according to its
Deputy Director Nguyen Viet Dung.
“The process of registering those subscribers is extremely complicated. To
immediately deactivate all their numbers is not a reasonable solution,” Dung
said.
Viettel, along with its competitors Vinaphone and MobiFone, agrees that they can
not tighten control on new subscribers beginning on Aug. 10. They would need more
time and additional guidelines from MIC to deal with subscribers who violate the
system once the rule takes effect.
Tran Thanh Son, who has three different phone numbers, said “Communication is
vital to my job as an event organiser, I think it’s rare for people to use more
than three permanent numbers for work. Three numbers for me is enough.”
Meanwhile, the regulation will also require new subscribers to bring their IDs or
passports directly to authorised shops when they purchase SIM cards, rather than
sending an SMS with unverified personal information to SMS centres.
According to the new rule, mobile phone service providers are only allowed to
receive registration information from authorised dealers. However, providers are
not always sure what organisations are legally authorised dealers.
Authorised dealers in big cities are required to have interest connections. In
smaller cities or rural areas, they are required to have at least one of the
following communication tools: telephone, fax machine, mobile phone or computer.
This will create difficulties for providers, according to Dung, when setting up
computers for authorised shops. Dealers can be authorised to sell SIM cards for
more than one provider. It would be wasteful for the providers to give the shops
a computer.
But it is proving to be difficult for all of the providers to come to mutual
agreement on this issue.
“Another question is whether or not a dealer has the skills to use a computer,
leading to potential requirements for phone companies to take responsibility for
providing computer training to their dealers,” said Dung.-Enditem
