September 11, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is preparing to strengthen the process for registering mobile phone SIM cards amid growing concerns over their use in unlawful activities.
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) Director General Bandula Herath said the existing rules are being overhauled following concerns raised by law enforcement authorities, who have observed a notable rise in offences involving SIM cards acquired through unofficial channels during the past several years.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Department of Government Information on Wednesday, Herath said the revised framework would introduce stricter identity verification for people purchasing new SIM cards.
One of the key changes will require new subscribers to provide a live photograph as part of the registration process. The enhanced requirements are expected to come into operation towards the end of this year, subject to the necessary arrangements being completed.
The regulator also intends to move towards a fully verified subscriber database. Herath said a programme planned for 2027 aims to establish complete identification of mobile phone and SIM card users across the country, while ensuring that the process remains straightforward for both Sri Lankan citizens and foreign visitors.
The move is primarily aimed at making it more difficult for criminals to obtain or operate SIM cards anonymously, particularly where mobile connections are used to facilitate illegal activities.
Sri Lanka currently has close to 30 million active SIM cards, underlining the scale of the task facing regulators and mobile network operators.
Herath also acknowledged wider concerns among consumers regarding mobile network performance and service quality. He said the TRCSL currently relies largely on information supplied by individual telecommunications providers when assessing service standards.
According to him, the regulator does not yet have an independent system capable of comprehensively measuring and verifying operators’ reported data. Developing stronger monitoring mechanisms could therefore become another area of focus as the telecommunications sector moves towards greater accountability and oversight.
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