Caption: NICTA CEO Charles Punaha
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, May 15, 2016 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
NATIONAL Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA), CEO Charles Punaha has revealed final deadlines for all mobile operators and prepaid customers to register under the mandatory sim registration regulation- with failure to do so resulting in sim cancellation or K50,000 fine per sim if the operator fails to do so.
Mr Punaha made the hefty penalties know when referring to the lack of accountability faced in the mobile communications sector.
He said the situation was now at a point where the legal system is being inundated with mobile related offences.
“At the moment you only have to go to the district court in Waigani and see the amount of matters that are now appearing through the courts of people misusing and abusing mobile phones to send offending text to others,” Punaha said.
“At the moment it is very difficult for law enforcement officers- they have to go to the courts to have a search warrant to either Digicel or Bmobile to have access to their networks so the evidence can be preserved and then given to the courts.”
“We are now making it mandatory that everybody has to be registered and that process starts on 23st of July which every subscriber has to go register, with new sims it will start on day one.”
“For existing subscribers 18 month period will be given for registration.”
He said the regulation is intended to address issues that have occurred, which NICTA is taking responsible measures by putting in mechanisms that will assist law and order enforcers.
“In the event that an offense or crime has been committed then we know who that particular sim card belongs to.”
“It is easy for the police officer, after due process, they will not just get information from the database that is going to be maintained by the service provider.”
“It is after due process where they have to go to court to have access.”
“We have put in safeguards to ensure that the confidentially of the subscribers information is maintained and no operator is allowed to give any information out without a court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Punaha explained that of the 10 million mobile numbers issued by NICTA- 6 million were allocated to Digicel and 2 million each to Bmobile-Vodafone and Telikom.
“Out of this at the moment there are 4.5 million subscribers and at the moment no one either NICTA or the operators have any idea, record of who these particular numbers are registered to,” the CEO said.
“You can just walk down the street and go to any shop run by anyone to buy a sim card without any identity- unless you are on postpaid you will have to register to allow postpaid customers.”
“As most of you who have travelled abroad if you go to Fiji, Vanuatu, Smaoa, Australia or any country in the world if you want to buy a local sim you need some form of identification such as your passport.”
He said in PNG nothing exists to offer sim identity- saying that the opening up of the market in 2009 did not have measures put in place to regulate sim indentification.
“Now that we are experiencing all these problems we have introduced this. We drafted regulations 10 months ago and it has gone through widespread consultation so far we have received support from our women who have thanked us.”
“At the moment there is so much abuse targeting women with people making it a habit to ring numbers if answered by female voice they then harass them.”
“After due process the regulation has gone through approval by cabinet, to allow three months grace providers to make sure set up data base for personal particulars and biometric information. Three months to set up database and compulsory registration.”
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