MTN Cameroon blocks 120,000 unregistered numbers

MTN Cameroon has blocked access to 120,000 numbers of its subscribers because they have failed to comply with the identification exercise in time.For the time being, MTN is undertaking an outreach campaign to systematically step up the identification of its subscribers through registration with street agents, media campaigns or sales points.
Mobile phone operators in Cameroon received an injunction from the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART) to disconnect all numbers with false identifications.The population of Cameroon is 22 million. Out of this number,15 million have subscribed with MTN and 77 percent of active mobile subscribers are currently identified, according to ART.

The identification exercise that was launched back in December 2015 has facilitated the revelation of a little over 5,000 numbers, 2.31 percent, that were unclaimed, 800(10%) with doubtful identification, 250 (12%) assets without any identification.

Going by the regulating agency, mobile subscribers must always provide their full name, address, type of ID, ID number with the activation date of their phone numbers as part of the national identification process due to end in June.

Over the years, Cameroon has witnessed a surge in crime wave partly as a result of unidentified or impersonating mobile subscribers operating incognito. If the country must succeed in the fight against terrorism and cyber criminality, each citizen must be properly identified. This is why MTN Cameroon is doing its best to ensure that all subscribers to her network get full identification or be disabled.