Telecom operator Vodafone has launched a pilot mobile subscriber verification project in Hyderabad, through which it will be using the Aadhar letter for both validating and activating new prepaid and postpaid connections in the region. Vodafone also stated that it has now been appointed as the official authentication service agency (ASA) and authentication user agency (AUA) of UIDAI and claims to be the first telecom operator to formally launch a Proof Of Concept for UIDAI. During his talk at the #NAMA Conference yesterday, Nandan Nilekani had briefly mentioned a pilot project with Vodafone for the UIDAI project, however he hadn't shared any specific details on the project. As per the project, Vodafone will start using the Aadhaar letter as the proof of Identity (PoI) and Proof of Address (PoA) for issuing new Vodafone prepaid and postpaid connections in Andhra Pradesh, as per Department of Telecom (DoT)'s directive. The company claimed that this project will make the process of activating connections easier and reduce the time involved in activating the phone numbers. Registration & Availability: According to the company statement, the service will be available in two Vodafone Stores - One in Hyderabad (SP Road) and another in Vijaywada (Bandar Road). The company said that users can simply walk into these stores with their Aadhaar letter to apply and get an active Vodafone connection, following validation and identification. How Does It Work? The company said that it will initially scan the barcode on the Aadhaar letter for authentication, after which the applicant will have to provide their biometric data for…
