---
title: Namibia makes SIM registration compulsory - Developing Telecoms
description: Namibia will require all mobile phone users to register their SIM card prior to accessing services following the introduction of new regulation.
canonical_url: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/cybersecurity/10909-namibia-makes-sim-registration-compulsory.html
language: en-GB
date: 2021-03-29T10:57:19Z
notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/cybersecurity/10909-namibia-makes-sim-registration-compulsory.html. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers.
markdown-tokens: 1079
---

> **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/cybersecurity/10909-namibia-makes-sim-registration-compulsory.html. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content.
> **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers.
> **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above.


   Details    James Barton    Category: [Cybersecurity](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/cybersecurity.html)     29 March 2021     12331 views   

 

  ![Namibia makes SIM registration compulsory](https://developingtelecoms.com/images/stories/Places/800x600/Windhoek-Skyline600.jpg)  

 

Namibia will require all mobile phone users to register their SIM card prior to accessing services following the introduction of new regulation.

The proposals were approved on 15th March, with local news outlet The Namibian quoting Minister of Information and Communication Technology Peya Mushelenga as saying that the regulation was in part a response to escalating cyber crime in Namibia.

“Right now anyone can go into a shop, buy a SIM card, and commit a crime. We are moving towards what is happening in South Africa where one cannot just by a SIM card – it must be registered”, said Mushelenga.

The minister noted that the proposals were developed with the consultation of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), the director general of the Namibia Central Intelligence Service, and all of the country’s affected telecoms operators.

As reported by TeleGeography, the regulation will oblige all operators to store customer data for a minimum of five years from the date of first use. These records will be accessible by the Namibian Police and the Namibia Central Intelligence Service, but only with authorization from a judge or magistrate.

Market leading operator MTC stated that it encourages its subscribers to register their SIM cards voluntarily.

 

 

   
## More Articles you may be Interested in...

<!-- AI:SCHEMA: Schema.org description of canonical page in JSON-LD format -->
<!-- AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN format=jsonld scope=page -->

```json
{
    "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Article",
            "author": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#james_barton_4d6427c012"
            },
            "dateModified": "2021-03-29T10:57:19Z",
            "datePublished": "2021-03-29T10:57:19Z",
            "description": "Namibia will require all mobile phone users to register their SIM card prior to accessing services following the introduction of new regulation.",
            "headline": "Namibia makes SIM registration compulsory",
            "image": [
                {
                    "@type": "ImageObject",
                    "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/images\/stories\/Places\/Windhoek-Skyline600.jpg",
                    "caption": "",
                    "description": "Namibia makes SIM registration compulsory",
                    "width": 600,
                    "height": 450
                }
            ],
            "inLanguage": "en-GB",
            "mainEntityOfPage": {
                "@type": "WebPage",
                "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/telecom-technology\/cybersecurity\/10909-namibia-makes-sim-registration-compulsory.html"
            },
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultPublisher"
            },
            "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/telecom-technology\/cybersecurity\/10909-namibia-makes-sim-registration-compulsory.html"
        },
        {
            "@type": "Person",
            "name": "James Barton",
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#james_barton_4d6427c012"
        },
        {
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultPublisher",
            "@type": "Organization",
            "url": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/",
            "logo": {
                "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultLogo"
            },
            "name": "Developing Telecoms"
        },
        {
            "@id": "https:\/\/devtelecoms.com\/#defaultLogo",
            "@type": "ImageObject",
            "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/images\/stories\/highResLogos\/dt-site-logo-440.png",
            "width": "440",
            "height": "122"
        }
    ]
}
```

<!-- AI:SCHEMA:END -->