The Hindu Business Line : COAI submits plan to verify 10% of mobile user base

Despite objection from Tata Teleservices, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), supported by two CDMA players Reliance Infocomm and HFCL, on Thursday went ahead with its proposal to carry out physical verification of only 10 per cent of the mobile subscriber base.

The proposal, given to the Communication and IT Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, has assured the Government that the industry will get all the relevant documentation from all the 100 million mobile subscribers by March 2007 and also set up software to check cases of multiple connections on a single identity proof.

Tata Teleservices had objected to this proposal and had called for physical verification of all the mobile subscribers and not just 10 per cent. The Tatas had written to the COAI that in the light of the security concerns facing the country, it was in favour of verifying the addresses of all the subscribers even of it took time and money.

The Tatas had also proposed to seek monetary support from the Government to bear the cost of verification if required.

The COAI has, however, rejected the stand taken by the Tatas on the ground that systems that are practical need to be put in place. It has asked the Tatas to write separately to the Government disassociating with the commitment of the industry.

The immediate fallout of the spat between the Tatas and the COAI is that the Apex Council for Telecom (ACT) formed by the industry to tackle the subscriber verification process jointly may cease to exist.

To include Tatas suggestion

The COAI has agreed to include the suggestion made by the Tatas to ban the sale of pre-activated mobile cards or handsets. "The connection will not be usable until it is ensured that 100 per cent documentation has been submitted by the subscriber. We believe that the proposals will strengthen the hands of the Government to combat instances of terrorism," the COAI proposal said. The proposal has the support of BSNL and MTNL also.

The DoT had earlier shot off a notice to all operators to adhere to subscriber verification norms strictly and disconnect all subscribers whose identity was not proven.

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