This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
Published on December 21, 2019, Tanzania's telecoms industry is facing a crisis as the deadline for mobile phone users to reregister their lines with service providers draws near.
According to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, only 19.6 million Identity Module (SIM) cards had been registered biometrically by December 10, leaving 27.5 million SIM cards still to go.
Leading service provider Airtel Tanzania has added to the turmoil by blocking unregistered SIM cards, leaving subscribers unable to make calls.
"I called Airtel customer care and they said I need to reregister my SIM card to access all services," said Fredrick Mabele, a Dar es Salaam resident.
TCRA spokesperson Semu Mwakyanjala stated that all SIM cards are still valid until December 31, after which all unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated.
As of last week, Airtel Tanzania had registered only 5.3 million of its total 12.5 million subscribers, behind industry leaders Vodacom Tanzania and Tigo Tanzania.
