Thursday, September 23, 2010

CCK Extends SIM Registration Deadline, Again

The Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) has granted Kenya’s mobile phone operators a further two week reprieve in their drive to register the details of the nation’s mobile phone users. The most recent deadline passed on 31 August, and the CCK insisted that the country’s four mobile phone operators - Safaricom, Zain Kenya, Telkom Kenya and Essar Telecom Kenya - file their subscriber listings by 16 September. In the wake of another missed deadline, the CCK has once again extended the exercise, allowing operators until the end of September to lodge their subscriber lists with the regulator. The operators have defended themselves, arguing that the government is still seeking a parliament-approved legal framework to give force to the registration requirement.



According to CCK reports, a total of 12.42 million mobile users have registered their details to date, representing 61.6% of the country’s 20.8 million subscribers. Market leader by subscribers Safaricom is leading the registrations with 13.8 million registered subscribers out of its client base of 16.24 million (85%), followed by Zain with 1.96 million of its 2.8 million subscribers (70%). Rene Meza, managing director of Zain Kenya commented: ‘The exercise is going on well and data is currently being compiled and will be submitted to CCK on September 30, 2010. The figures will then be released by the regulator accordingly.’

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