MTC biometric info no longer required

MTC has confirmed that individuals registering their MTC SIM cards no longer need to provide biometric information.

This according to MTC spokesperson Erasmus Nekundi, who spoke to Namibia Media Holdings this week.

It was reported previously that MTC's head of communication, Tim Ekandjo, had maintained that MTC still requires clients' biometric information as part of the SIM card registration process.

Ekandjo said this despite the Regulatory Authority for Communications in Namibia (CRAN) instructing telecommunications service providers to abandon this requirement.

CRAN's executive head, Emilia Nghikembua, noted in a press release recently that this directive was issued in response to complaints from the public and the media regarding this requirement as part of the registration process.

Combat fraud

Ekandjo, however, said MTC still requires the use of its Verifi service due to an increase in incidents of cybercrime and fraud.

The use of biometric data as part of the Verifi system, according to Ekandjo, would specifically combat this crime.

At the end of September, MTC reported that only about 33% of its active SIM cards had been registered, despite the approaching deadline for SIM card registration.

CRAN and telecommunications service providers are striving to have all SIM cards registered by 1 January.

If not, a cellphone number will be disconnected for a period of three months. If the SIM card is not registered within that three-month period, the number will be cancelled, and the user cannot reclaim it.