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More than 110 million SIM cards registered so far: Ministry
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Prepaid SIM card users have until Feb. 28, 2018, to register their phone numbers or risk having their SIM card blocked. (Shutterstock/File)
M
ore than 110 million mobile phone numbers have been registered with the government, according to an official, two months after the regulation was first announced.
The figure represents half of active prepaid SIM cards on the market, according to Ahmad M. Ramil, the Communications and Information Ministry's director general for post and informatics management, as reported by kompas.com.
"This accomplishment cannot be separated from efforts made by the Home Ministry and the police, as well as other institutions that helped with the process of registering SIM cards," he said during the ministry's Performance Achievements and Innovation Launch event in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Ramli also thanked telecommunication operators for raising awareness about the regulation and help boost the number of registered SIM cards from 90 million on Dec. 7.
There are some 290 million active SIM cards across Indonesia, and about 390 million are currently in the market.
Indonesian citizens are required to register their phone numbers along with their identity card (KTP) and family card numbers by sampling texting their details to 4444.
Meanwhile, foreigner must register with their passport and temporary stay permit (ITAS) or permanent stay permit (ITAP).
Read also: What you need to know about SIM card registration
Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara explained at Wednesday’s event that the regulation was a matter of public safety, but could also help boost related industries.
"Every year, the cellular industry buys more than 500 million SIM cards,” Rudiantara said.
Prepaid SIM card users have until Feb. 28, 2018, to register their details or risk having their phone numbers blocked.
The government will provide a 30-day grace period following the deadline, during which no outgoing calls or text messages can be made.
Fifteen days into the grace period, unregistered SIM cards will not be able to receive incoming calls or texts.
Finally, 30 days after the deadline, any unregistered numbers will be blocked completely, disabling all services provided by the prepaid SIM card. (liz/kes)
