The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to use Unique Identification (UID) numbers, which will be issued by the government, as an identity and address proof for issuing a new mobile or landline connection.
“The strength of the UID system will be utilised for telecom growth. As a first step, UID will be used as proof of identity and address,” a senior ministry official told Business Standard.
The government plans to issue UID numbers to 600 million people by 2014. The project involves an expenditure of about Rs 3,023 crore, which includes project components for the issue of UID numbers by March 2011, and recurring establishment costs for the entire project phase of five years that end March 2014.
UID numbers would help expedite growth in the telecom sector, especially in the rural areas, the official said. It would do away with hurdles while issuing a new mobile or landline connection, as the UID number could also be verified and authenticated online, ultimately reducing the total time of issuing the connection, the DoT official added.
The UID system will also eliminate duplicate and fake identities. If the system is used in the telecom sector, the subscriber verification would no longer be a problem.
The government has already asked telecom operators to follow stringent norms for verification of subscribers, especially prepaid mobile users.
The proposal is part of DoT’s road map for the next five years, keeping in mind the growth of the sector.