The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has temporarily suspended the services of 2.14 million mobile phone numbers after their owners did not meet the July 13 identity registration deadline. The action aims to bolster security and curb fraud linked to unregistered mobile numbers.
NBTC Commissioner Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn explained that the affected numbers are primarily owned by individuals holding between six and 100 unregistered SIM cards, leading to the suspension of their call, SMS, and internet services. He warned that failure to register the SIM cards within the next 30 to 45 days will result in these numbers being permanently revoked and redistributed.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) recently tasked the NBTC with reviewing around 80 million mobile phone numbers connected to over 113 million mobile banking accounts to verify that SIM card ownership aligns with account holders. The process is expected to conclude by the end of September.
To ensure secure and compliant telecommunications operations across five border provinces, the NBTC has also addressed 465 unauthorized cell signal boosters, having already destroyed 179 of these devices. (NNT)
