Indian cellcos told to re-verify all customers

The Indian government has instructed the nation’s mobile operators to re-verify all their mobile subscribers with a system that uses biometric authentication by next February.

All existing subscribers will need to be re-verified using the Aadhaar-based system, which includes a unique identifying number and biometric data.

Both prepaid and postpaid subscribers will need to be registered under the new system, and all licensees will need to inform existing subscribers about the requirement through advertisements in print and electronic media as well as SMS.

The new requirement stems from a Supreme Court order in February that requires operators to complete the verification system for existing subscribers within one year.

Operators plan to use and share a common device ecosystem for the verification process and will work on mechanisms to limit public inconvenience.

But the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), the peak body for India’s GSM operators, has complained that the re-verification exercise will cost 10 billion rupees in infrastructure and training costs, and these expenses will need to be borne by operators.

COAI also indicated it may need to seek an extension from regulator Trai if its members are not able to complete the process of re-verifying millions of subscribers within a year.