The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a decree requiring that an individual can only register up to three pre-paid mobile phone SIM cards beginning 10 August 2009, Vietnam News Brief Service reports. Beginning in 2010, under a regulation by the ministry, mobile-phone services for pre-paid subscribers will be cut if they do not provide personal information or if they supply false data to providers to obtain more phone numbers.
There is currently to maximum limit on the number of SIM cards a mobile user can hold. With six telecoms service providers already operating in the country, and Gtel Mobile to start services in July, some users hold more than one SIM card with different operators. The ministry’s new decree is a move to manage unregistered pre-paid mobile subscribers, preventing mobile-phone harassment and spam messages.