Mauritania has 6.5 million active telecom users, according to the latest official data. The country wants to identify these users, in a bid to bolster national security amid a rapidly accelerating digital transformation.
In Mauritania, mobile service users have until October 6, 2023, to get their SIM registered. The deadline was recently announced by the Autorité de Régulation Multisectorielle (ARE), Mauritania’s telecom watchdog. Users who fail to comply with the measure by the set date will have their subscriptions suspended, warns the regulator.
To register their SIM cards, users will need a valid ID which they will present at any of the operators’ commercial branches. The process will also involve recording the biometric data of the individual.
The push for registration aligns with the implementation of Decision No. 0038 by the National Regulatory Council (CNR), regarding the sale of SIM/USIM cards in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Adopted on April 6, the decision stipulates that the sale of SIM cards by telecom operators will be conducted exclusively through biometric identification of the buyer. It also mandates telecommunications operators to perform biometric identification of all their subscribers within six months.
The measure aligns with the Mauritanian government's determination to enhance "the security of the country and its citizens" in a context marked by increasing mobile fraud. According to the ARE, "efforts so far deployed to combat illicit practices in the sale and transfer of SIM cards have not yielded the expected results."
Isaac K. Kassouwi
• Investors seem to keep focusing on yields, which are high for the moment• New Leadership might see...
• ECOWAS Bank funds 47.7-km stretch of strategic 700-km road project• Lagos-Calabar highway seen boo...
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...
• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...
• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...
• Ghana signs a deal with eLearning Africa to expand digital learning access across the country.• The partnership focuses on deploying modern digital...
Ghana launches the Oncology Nurse Leadership Program (ONLEP) to train specialized oncology nurses from seven African countries. The five-year...
Ivanhoe Mines signs deal covering 100% of Kamoa-Kakula smelter’s copper output. The smelter will process up to 500,000 tonnes annually, starting at...
African gas projects drive significant contracts for Asian shipbuilders, especially for Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) units. South Korean...
Kolmanskop offers a haunting blend of lost wealth, colonial history, and the unstoppable force of nature. Located just a few kilometers inland from...
Located about 40 kilometers from Cape Town’s city center, Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most iconic destinations. This...