India’s telecom regulator TRAI recommends (pdf) that the existing subscriber base should be verified under the Aadhaar-based eKYC (Know Your Customer) process to weed out SIM cards acquired using fake/forged identity. The DoT in partnership with telcos could initiate verification of existing SIM cards in a “phased manner” but the process should remain optional to both service providers and subscribers, added TRAI in its recommendation notice. Subscribers could be provided with freebies or “sops” in form of free talktime or data in order to encourage them to undergo the eKYC process, the regulator said. It also said that the Aadhaar-based eKYC is a more credible verification process when compared to the existing paper-based based verification which uses a passport/driving license, etc. In addition, TRAI recommended that outstation customers or those users who reside in a different address apart from the one mentioned in their driving license, passport, etc could also verify their identity using an Aaadaar card. What this means for subscribers Although TRAI denotes that the Aadhaar-based authentication process could be optional for existing subscribers, this could mean that two things: 1) Existing subscribers without Aadhaar cards will have to enroll for the Aadhaar scheme in case they get lured into the free data/talktime offer. 2) The regulator said in its recommendation “it is essential that not only the new subscriber are enrolled through e-KYC process, but the existing subscriber base should also be verified through e-KYC process.” This means that a new subscriber will have to enroll to a…
