New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has instructed all telecom service providers to stop issuing new SIM cards to individuals who already have nine mobile connections registered in their name. The new rule will come into effect from August 24, 2026, as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen subscriber verification and curb misuse of mobile connections.
Under the directive, telecom operators must introduce technical and organisational systems to identify customers attempting to obtain a tenth SIM. If a subscriber has already reached the permitted limit, the operator must refuse the new connection and inform the customer that the maximum number of mobile connections has already been exhausted.
The verification process will be carried out through the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), a central database maintained by the DoT using subscriber records submitted by telecom companies. The platform already contains details of users who have exceeded or reached the prescribed limit.
To make identification more accurate, the DoT will begin providing representative photographs of subscribers who have reached the nine SIM threshold on the Digital Intelligence Platform from August 23. This will help telecom companies verify the identity of applicants before activating a new connection.
The department has asked operators to fully integrate their systems with the Digital Intelligence Platform by November 30, 2026. Until then, any mobile connection activated beyond the prescribed limit will be suspended immediately if detected during post activation verification, pending resolution of the issue.
The latest measure is aimed at preventing fraudulent SIM issuance, strengthening telecom security and ensuring that mobile connections are issued only within the limits permitted under government regulations.
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