PTA Issues Official SOPs for SIM-Reverification

While we had presented you FAQs for re-verification of SIM already, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority today issued its official Standard Operating Procedures for SIM-Reverification, which are supposed to be followed by all telcos to make sure that all SIMs are verified before April 13th, 2015.

Deadline for Blocking SIMs

First Phase:

• Starting Immediately till 26th February 2015
• Numbers to be re-verified: 3 or more SIMs per CNIC per operator
• Blocking Deadline: All un-verified number from this list will be blocked on Feb 27th, 2015

Second Phase:

• Starting from 27th February 2015 till April 13, 2015
• Numbers to be re-verified: 1 and 2 SIMs per CNIC per operator
• Blocking Deadline: All un-verified number from this list will be blocked on April 14th, 2015

Verification of SIMs

According to official SOPs from PTA, a copy of which is available with ProPakistani, following will be the flow of SIM-revivification.

Please note that MSISDN in below text is also known as SIM Number. CMO is abbreviation for Cellular Mobile Operator

Verification of Primary number:

First number of an operator that you verified through BVS will be called as primary number of this particular operator. Meaning that, if you have three SIMs of an operator, then you will verify your primary number with BVS and it will be tagged as primary number. Keep reading to know what will happen with other two numbers:

1. Customer shall visit the retailer/franchisee/CSC of respective operator, and shall provide his/her CNIC number along with the MSISDN to be used as primary number for re-verification through BVS.
2. The sale channel shall send CNIC number, MSISDN and related biometric credentials to the system of respective operator using the “Re-Verification” interface.
3. The system shall verify the ownership of the MSISDN against the particular CNIC and verification status whether the primary number is already verified or otherwise.In case the primary number is not verified through BVS, only then the system shall send the biometrics (thumb/finger impression) of the subscriber to NADRA for verification.However, if the CNIC entered doesn’t match the MSISDN related CNIC number in the system; the process will stop there and subscriber shall be asked to provide correct number or proceed for Change of Ownership.
4. Upon successful BVS verification from NADRA, system shall mark this MSISDN and CNIC combination as “Biometric Re-verified”.
5. Message shall be sent to the said MSISDN (primary number), both in English & Urdu, indicating that this number has been “Biometric Re-verified”.
6. However, if NADRA response is not successful, then the process will not be executed further and a SMS will be sent to the primary number advising to contact the nearest NADRA center.

————————————————————————-

Also Read:

If you want to check simplified FAQs with simple language than check out our this coverage: Answers to Your Questions: FAQs about SIMs Re-Verification!

————————————————————————-

Verification of Remaining MSISDNs of Respective Operator

1. Upon successful BVS Verification of primary MSISDN, the operator shall send a list of all other numbers (MSISDNs) of that operator that are registered in the system against the same CNIC through a SMS, to the primary number, from a designated short code 789, after twenty four (24) hours and within seven (7) days of his/her biometric re-verification.
2. The subscriber shall have to respond back to that SMS within forty eight (48) hours by sending those MSISDNs (numbers) which he/she agrees to own (considered as Re-verified) and deleting the numbers which he/she disowns (Not verified). Log/content of the SMS shall be permanently maintained by the respective operator for cross-verification /evidence purposes.
3. All such MSISDNs (numbers) sent back through return SMS by the subscriber, shall be considered as “Biometric Re-verified” as well against the said CNIC number, provided they are already registered on that CNIC. Successful biometric re-verification messages, both in Urdu & English) will be sent to each of these numbers.
4. Those MSISDNs (numbers) which were not sent back through the return SMS will be considered as “Disowned” from that time and will be put through to the Disowned Numbers process.
5. In case, no response is received from the subscriber, a reminder SMS shall be sent to the primary number. In case, no response is received within 10 days, all other numbers except the primary number shall be considered disowned and treated as per Appendix-B.
6. All such numbers sent through the return SMS for which the CNIC number in the database doesn’t match will be considered as “Not verified” and no action shall be taken.
7. Following additional checks shall be incorporated in the system to ensure that the SMS reply is being sent by already verified subscribers:
   1. Whether there was a 789 SMS sent to the Primary Verified number by the respective operator or otherwise. If not, then the response SMS should not be considered for the re-verification of remaining numbers.
   2. If the response SMS is received from a number (MSISDN) which has not yet been primary re-verified through BVS; then the response SMS should not be considered for the re-verification of remaining numbers.
8. Operators shall update their database accordingly by placing same transaction ID i.e. of primary MSISDN against all subsequent verified MSISDNs for cross checking purpose.Complete trail of primary and remaining numbers verified in this manner shall be maintained by operators and the data shall be provided to PTA as and when required.
9. 668 data at PMD shall also be updated accordingly by concerned operator within 24 hours.

Note:

1. Operators can also perform this process of re-verification of secondary numbers by displaying remaining MSISDNs against BVS verified CNIC in coded form (e.g. 03xx-xxxx234) and asking the subscriber for owning/disowning the same. However, this process shall only be allowed at Customer Service Center (CSCs) of operators.
2. Alternatively, when a subscriber approaches a sale channel for re-verification, operators may ask all the numbers from customer and feed these numbers to the system for performing verification through BVS in one go. Any other numbers registered on that CNIC and not informed by the subscriber shall be disowned. However, if this process is used, access of all numbers against un-verified CNICs shall be blocked for franchisees for entire 91 days of the re-verification exercise.
3. Operators may also carry-out the re-verification of all numbers through the process give at Para 7(a) i.e. each number being verified separately through a separate BVS transaction. Numbers registered on CNIC of a subscriber shall not be displayed at Franchisee and Retailers at any cost.
4. Irrespective of the mechanism used, operators shall make sure through system checks that the facility is not misused by the sale channels by owning/disowning numbers without the knowledge/consent of the subscriber and only those numbers are verified which are held against customer’s CNIC only.

Change in Ownership for those Numbers that are not Registered with Your CNIC

If primary number is not registered with CNIC of the owner, then no biometric verification process will take place and customer will be asked to proceed with change of ownership process, which is as following:

Once the illegal user/owner of the SIM approaches the CSC/Franchise/Retailer, the SIM shall be regularized through one extra verification (other than biometric registration SIM with respective CNIC) to ascertain that he/she is the actual user of that particular SIM.

Change of owner process will only be authorized to Service Centres of operators and they can ask the customer about frequently dialled numbers, recharge history, last recharge date, FNF numbers, etc to confirm that user is indeed the owner of the SIM.

Operators shall ensure that extra verification is carried out and evidence is available to prove the same, in case of any compliant/requirement. The process of change of ownership shall be completed with immediate effect.

Note:

1. In order to avoid fraudulent COO, it shall be ensured that that SIM is physically present with the user through any verification mechanism such as a pin code sent to the user and entering the same before change of ownership, etc.
2. In case, retailer is authorized for COO, CMO shall ensure that SIM is physically present with the user and extra verification is carried out through an SMS dialog with the system or any other mechanism such as a pin code, etc.
3. Evidence should be available to prove that extra verification was carried out by the retailer, in case of any complaint/requirement.

General Agreed Principles

1. No new SIM sales shall be made through Retailers and Temporary Outlets during 91 days of exercise so that efforts can be concentrated on re-verification process only. Furthermore, promotions of new sales at other channels shall be minimized.
2. CMOs shall not offer any commission or incentive to sale channels for re-verification.
3. A uniform Re-Verification Fee of Rs.10/- per CNIC shall be charged from the subscriber in order to discourage misuse of the system/process.
4. CMOs shall make sure that New Sale, SIM Change, Change of Ownership and MNP is not allowed to a subscriber till any of his/her existing SIM, on a particular operator, is un-verified through BVS.
5. Clear/strict warnings, through formal communication, shall be sent by all CMOs to their all Sale Channels asking them to adhere by the laid down procedures else strict legal action shall be taken against violators/abusers of the process. The task is to be carried out before start of the re-verification process/
6. CMOs shall be allowed to carry-out kiosk/door to door activities, for re-verification only, in order to facilitate corporate customers/offices/universities, etc. However, CMOs shall ensure engagement of their own or franchisee staff for the task. Appropriate identification documents (cards in case of own employees and authorization letters/agreements with CMO, in case of franchisees, shall be made available) for cross checking purposes. Such facilities shall not be used for sale of new SIMs except in case of special circumstances after obtaining PTA’s permission.
7. All SIMs that are not re-verified during their respective phase i.e. 45 days for phase 1 and 46 days for phase 2, shall be blocked after expiry of their respective deadlines. However, only those SIMs that are registered on a CNIC having only one SIM per CNIC per CMO and in-use for at-least last two years may spill over. The spill over blocking period shall be intimated later.
8. CMOs shall restrict access to all numbers against un-verified CNICs for franchisees for entire 91 days of the re-verification exercise.
9. NADRA in collaboration of CMOs shall evolve an alternate process of re-verification in order to facilitate subscribers which cannot be verified through BVS due to any genuine reason i.e. physical disability, disease or old age.

Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!