Telecommunications group MTN Ghana is starting the complete disconnection of all SIM cards that have completed the Stage 1 linkage of subscriber registration but have not completed Stage 2 of the process, being the biometric capture, from December 1.
This is in compliance with a directive from the National Communications Authority (NCA).
As at November 26, just over 22.1-million MTN Ghana subscribers had successfully linked their Ghana card to their SIM cards as part of Stage 1, while 16.41-million had successfully completed the biocapture phase of Stage 2.
A fully registered SIM card is one that has successfully completed both Stage 1 linkage and Stage 2 biocapture.
This leaves about 5.7-million subscribers becoming eligible for deactivation on December 01, 2022.
MTN has already complied with the first stage of the directive by deactivating the data services of SIM cards that have not fully registered with the Ghana card on November 20, 2022, as directed.
All deactivated SIM cards can be reactivated within 6 months from December 1 by completing the biocapture process, however, deactivated SIM cards will be recycled if they are not reactivated by the end of May 2023.
Customers who do not have the Ghana card are encouraged to contact the nearest National Identification Authority Office for assistance.
MTN will provide these customers the needed support with full registration after they have successfully received their Ghana cards.
MTN is committed to the national SIM registration exercise to build an accurate customer database to help minimize fraud in the country.
MTN will update investors further on December 2 on completion of the customer deactivation exercise and will communicate the customers impacted, pro forma revenue impact and initiatives to re-register impacted customers.