Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has published a public consultation on ‘Prepaid Telecommunications Services Registration Regulations’ on its website recently.

Dr Khalid Bin Dais Al Khalifa, director of the authority’s Cyber Security Directorate, said: “In line with its continuous efforts to review and improve its current regulations and to protect consumers’ interests, the TRA has taken steps to address the increase in civil and criminal cases involving prepaid SIM cards.

“Due to the manner in which the current registration and verification processes are being conducted, prepaid mobile subscribers have been found to have several prepaid SIM cards registered in their name without their consent or knowledge, which can pose serious legal or financial risks to them should any misuse with these numbers occur.

“The new regulation is intended to address these concerns and to introduce several significant changes to the Existing Prepaid Telecommunications Services Registration Regulation.”

The new regulation requires the licensees to follow a more rigorous registration and verification process for new subscribers, as well as to fully update the registration details of all existing prepaid mobile phone subscribers to ensure the accuracy of information listed in the licensees’ data base, he added. - TradeArabia News Service