Fergie's Tech Blog

New Singapore rules to prevent misuse of mobiles

Via Reuters.

Singapore announced new rules on Friday to prevent militants and other criminals from using pre-paid Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards in mobile phones.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said three bombs in Thailand's Songkhla province in April were detonated using mobile phones, possibly with pre-paid SIM cards. "Criminals exploit the anonymity of pre-paid SIM cards to avoid detection. Singapore must address this problem urgently as there are over 1.4 million local pre-paid SIM cards, comprising 35 percent of the mobile market, in circulation today," he said in a statement.

From November 1, all sellers of pre-paid SIM cards will be required to ask for and electronically verify personal details of purchasers, said the Ministry of Home Affairs and the city-state's telecoms regulator, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.

posted by Fergie @ 10/21/2005 08:05:00 AM