MTC has deactivated 323,236 SIM cards, as 1,613,893 of its subscribers, 83.3%, managed to register by the deadline on Sunday.

MTC Chief Human Capital, Corporate Affairs, and Marketing Officer, Tim Ekandjo, explains that customers with suspended numbers will not be able to utilise any services for the interim until they comply with the SIM registration process. This grace period is to last for 90 days, effective from April 1 until July 1, 2024, or as otherwise decided by CRAN.

Should the “grace period” lapse, and with no action having been taken by a SIM owner, the number will be deactivated/deleted from the network permanently.

"The unregistered customers (323,236) contribute approximately 3.1% of revenue, translating to an average of N$8.1 million in revenue per month. MTC has always maintained that it would require 24 months to successfully finalise the SIM registration process. Despite our best efforts, we have encountered challenges in finalising the registration process for all customers, as previously communicated to the Authority – such as the geographical vastness of our country, amongst other socio-economic conditions, which made it impossible for some members of the public to register on time," said Ekandjo.