Regulations for issuing phone numbers have been amended to impose a purchase limit of 10 SIM cards for Maldivians and three for foreign nationals.
According to the new rules, only a mobile telecommunications service provider or their designated agents licensed by the Communication Authority of Maldives (CAM) can sell SIM cards in the country. The SIM card must be in a non-activated status when it is issued to a customer.
The regulations also require customers to provide information to a service provider in order to register a mobile phone, including full name, date of birth, passport number or work permit number, address of residence and permanent address.
Service providers must keep copies of unexpired identification documents submitted by the customer for registration, the regulations state.
The regulations offer the discretion to service providers to carry out the registration process digitally.
CAM has the authority to approve the issuance of numbers beyond the limit set by the regulations if a request is made with a reasonable justification.
Service providers and their agents would face action or fines for any violation of the rules.
- For the first violation, instruction for correction within specified period
- For second violation, instruction for correction with MVR 10,000 fine
- For third violation, instruction for correction with MVR 20,000 fine
- For third or more violations, MVR 50,000 fine for each offense and legal action
The regulations will come into force a month after the date of publication. The new rules will be enforced for numbers issued before it took effect.
If customers do not choose numbers within the limit set by the rules within three months of enactment, the excess phone numbers will be cancelled or deactivated.
