The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced an extension of the SIM card verification deadline by three months for individuals whose unverified phone numbers were switched off. The initial deadline for verification ended on November 12, 2023.
Rebecca Mukite, the head of Public and International Relations at UCC, addressed the media on November 13, urging affected individuals to take advantage of the extra time to verify their numbers. After the three-month grace period, unverified numbers will be permanently lost, and users will not be able to reclaim them.
“The network services include not receiving calls, not receiving SMS’s, can’t connect to the mobile internet, and they can’t load mobile money onto their wallet,” Mukite said.
Mukite explained that within the 90-day period, those who have not regularized their registration can redeem their numbers and regain access to all network services. However, if individuals fail to take action and resolve their registration issues, the network will have the authority to reassign the unverified numbers to other users.
According to UCC data, Uganda has over 30 million registered SIM cards, with approximately 2 percent (around 600,000 subscribers) classified as non-regularized. The ongoing effort to regularize SIM cards aims to strengthen national security, ensure compliance with the law, and protect the interests of Ugandan citizens.
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