Myanmar has completed a nationwide SIM re-registration programme, with millions of SIMs being disconnected by the country’s operators.
Telenor Myanmar CEO Jon Omund Revhaug stated that “millions of mobile customers across Myanmar” had seen their SIMs switched off after the initiative ended on 30th June.
TeleGeography reported that the initiative was launched in February 2020 as Myanmar sought to ensure a safer environment for mobile financial transactions, as well as reducing crime related to mobile and internet services.
The country’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) and its Post and Telecommunications Department (PTD) have not disclosed the official count of SIMs identified as unregistered or incorrectly registered and subsequently deactivated.
Revhaug issued an apology to any customers that had been disconnected, noting that it was “painful to have to switch off and stop serving such a large share of our customers.”
