DoT has replaced the existing process of PoI/PoA document based service and facilitated for all telecom operators for issuing instant mobile connection with Aadhar card for activation of SIM card
Leading telecom operators Bharati Airtel will roll out of Aadhaar based e-KYC and followed Vodafone and Idea cellular in upcoming weeks in all telecom circles.
In this connection speaking to media Vodafone MD and CEO Sunil Sood said, ‘Aadhaar based eKYC will improve quality of sales as well as regulatory compliance. For the regulator, Sood said, eKYC not only means a green initiative but also hassle free governance and accurate audit results’.
In a notification statement telecom department said, ‘In the e-KYC service, customer will be able online authorize UIDAI through Aadhaar authentication using Aadhaar number and biometrics to provide their demographic data along with digitally signed photograph to service provider’.
The department further added, ‘As per UIDAI, digitally signed electronic KYC data provided by UIDAI is machine readable, making it possible for the Licensees to directly store it as the customer record in their database for purposes of issuing a mobile connection. Telecom service providers are allowed to appoint or employ franchisee, agents, distributors and employees for provision of the service’.
In addition to the above the telecom department also said ‘The Licensee (service providers) shall keep proper control over them and the Licensee shall be liable for the acts done by its franchisee, agents, distributors and employees in the provisioning of service’.
Under e-KYC process an instant, secure and green mobile customer verification project, where a customer’s Aadhar card and fingerprint are sufficient for both validating and activating new GSM mobile connection (Prepaid and Postpaid).
Partner Deloitte Haskins and Sells LLP, Hemat Joshi said,’ e-KYC would bring down the cost of transporting physical customer application forms (CAFs) for verification scanning and storage and telecom customer verification would be beneficial to all the companies and government. For subscribers it would reduce time for SIM activation and paper work’.