One in every third prepaid subscriber is fake. If this isn’t “chilling”, it ought not to be to you dear readers because I have been asserting here that the valuations of these companies have been artificially bloated.
Of course, it wouldn’t be affecting the execs in their plush offices because it is the deceit that keeps them comfortably on their asses. During a routine criminal investigation in Haryana, the police discovered huge number of connections in a single person’s name. After further probes, they discovered that a number of telephone connections had been booked in the name of fictitious entities. In simple lay man’s terms it means that anyone could potentially “misuse” the phone numbers without the fear of being traced.
The Haryana police booked a couple of Airtel employees and it took considerable resources (my guess) to avoid a PR disaster for them. The whole matter seems to be subdued and suppressed and talked off only in hushed up tones. It is not getting the attention it deserves. By rough estimates, if the proper physical verification takes place now, it would shave off one third of the numbers which the companies gloat about. No wonder, Ramachandran, COAI chief, is keen only for the random verification of the subscribers. They cite huge logistics problems for the same.
This has grave implications for the internal security of this nation. In the name of driving up subscritions and ramping up subscribers, the norms have been thrown out. It didn’t apply to them in the first case either.
Getting a pre paid is simple. One has to furnish a “proof” of residence/ photgraph. That’s it. No questions asked. The “verification” is done at the level of the shopkeepers who is supposed to know the local residents. A little “consideration” and things get rolling for a new connection. Prepaids cannot be traced to the original subscribers and the SIM card can be destroyed and a new one had.
Post paid norms are tougher and no wonder, I get to hear delays on the part of the companies to verify everything at their end.
This wouldn’t be solved overnight and is a clear cut violation of licensing norms. Why haven’t their licences been cancelled?
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