Verification for providing Bulk mobile connections only for companies registered under Companies Act: DoT

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in a circular uploaded today on its website offered clarifications around the instructions for issuing mobile connections to the subscribers procuring bulk Mobile connections using Paper-based, D-KYC, and e-KYC process. The telecom industry has represented for clarifications regarding few letters issued by DoT last year. DoT post examination of the representation of the above-mentioned letters has issued clarifications.

DoT in its letter said that the requirement of verification through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal for providing Bulk Mobile connections shall only be applicable for the companies registered under the Companies Act. The introduction of the Amendment to the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 dated 24th July 2019 had made the requirement of identification of subscriber by the Licensor statutory in nature apart from the License Agreement mandate of subscriber verification.

“The Licensees are, therefore, required to maintain the end-user details as per instructions dated 18.09.2020,” said DoT in its letter.

The telecom industry further represented non-availability of local proof of address (PoA) for large number of corporate users utilising bulk connections. DoT hence has made the requirement of PoA document details in the end-user list optional in case of Bulk customers although the address of the end-user shall be mandatorily recorded in the end-user list.

“Accordingly, the field “Address mentioned in the PoA document of End user” may be read as “Address of End user” in the End-user list,” said DoT in its letter.

The acquisition of Bulk customers using the Paper-based records will require a Complete Registered address of the entity/company/organization in the CAF format of said process. In case of acquisition of Bulk customers using the D-KYC process, the mobile number of the Authorized signatory shall be mentioned in the authorization letter of the company/entity/organization and the same shall be used for the OTP based signature of the Authorized signatory.

“The term “identity” used in the para 2 (ii) (a) of the instruction dated 18.09.2020, may be interpreted as the “Name of the company/entity/organization”.The end-user list parameters as modified by this letter shall be applicable for Paper-based process also and the end-user list shall also be made part of the subscriber database for the bulk subscriber.In respect of Bulk connections issued up to 31.01.2021, the end-user list as modified by this letter shall also be updated and linked/annexed to the respective CAF of the subscriber by 31.03.2022. The details of end-user list shall also be made part of the subscriber database of the concerned Bulk subscriber,” added DoT in its letter.