SIM Card: All old SIM cards will be replaced, there will be long queues, the government is making big preparations!

If you also have an old SIM card, then there is big news for you. There is every possibility that you will have to get a new SIM soon. We are saying this because the Government of India is preparing to replace the old SIM card. The Government of India is considering replacing the old SIM cards used in mobile phones. The move comes after an investigation conducted by the country's premier cyber security agency, which revealed that the chipsets used in some SIM cards came from China.

The investigation was jointly conducted by the National Cyber ​​Security Coordinator (NCSC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs, after which serious concerns were raised about national security. Now the government is reviewing various aspects of this issue and possibilities of replacing old SIM cards are being explored.

What is the matter?

According to a Mint report, the NCSC held a meeting with senior officials of the country's leading telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), and representatives of the Ministry of Telecommunications. In this meeting, the flaws in the SIM card supply process and a framework for replacing old SIM cards were discussed.

In the last few years, India has banned Chinese equipment manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE. Now to further strengthen national security, the government has made a rule that before importing, selling, or using any type of telecom equipment in the country, they will be subjected to mandatory testing and certification. This process ensures that all telecom equipment used in India meets national and international security, performance, and quality standards.

How did Chinese chips reach Indian SIM cards?

Generally, telecom companies order SIM cards from certified vendors. These vendors order chips from trusted sources like Vietnam or Taiwan and assemble, package, and serialize them in India itself, but the investigation revealed that some vendors misused the Trusted Source Certification. At first, they showed that the chips they used came from trusted sources, but later it was found that some chips were imported from China.

Which SIM cards could be affected?

In March 2021, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) amended the Unified Access Service License, stating that telecom companies would not be able to buy equipment from an untrusted vendor. The NCSC was given the responsibility to approve only trusted suppliers, but investigations found that some vendors abused this system as well and the chips they supplied contained Chinese components. Therefore, the affected SIM cards may be linked to both the period before and after 2021.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.