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Johannesburg - Mobile operator MTN Group [JSE:MTN] on Thursday encouraged its customers to comply with the Regulation of Interception of Communication Act (Rica) ahead of the cut-off date at the end of June.
Rica requires all prepaid and contract customers of mobile operators to register their sim cards.
Last week MTN told I-Net Bridge that about 80% of its subscribers had complied. MTN's South African operation contributes 58% to the region's subscribers, at 19.197 million.
Karel Pienaar, CEO of MTN SA said: "Many people that I have talked to have cited reasons why they are not keen to comply with Rica - some subscribers cited 'unnecessary bureaucracy', while others were overly concerned about the security of their personal details. I must admit most have overwhelmingly welcomed Rica as a means to creating a safer SA."
Pienaar stressed that the registration of all sim and data cards was integral to the government's plans for curbing crime, which was often perpetrated with the help and usage of cellphone technology.
In November the cabinet approved a six-month extension of the deadline for operators to register their customers' details, including identity numbers and addresses. Operators had originally been given until December to comply.
The group said its stores would be open for extended hours for two days in advance of the deadline.
Last week, rival group Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD] said it had registered 84.9% of its customers as at March 31, which meant that about four million sim cards were yet to be registered.
In its annual results presentation last month, Vodacom said it had 26.5 million customers.
SA's third operator, Cell C, told I-Net Bridge that in excess of 94% of its 7 million customers had already complied with Rica.
Virgin Mobile, which has about 300 000 subscribers in SA, said about 270 000 or 90% of its subscribers had registered their SIM cards.
8ta, the mobile arm of Telkom [JSE:TKG], launched after the new rules were made.
Rica requires all prepaid and contract customers of mobile operators to register their sim cards.
Last week MTN told I-Net Bridge that about 80% of its subscribers had complied. MTN's South African operation contributes 58% to the region's subscribers, at 19.197 million.
Karel Pienaar, CEO of MTN SA said: "Many people that I have talked to have cited reasons why they are not keen to comply with Rica - some subscribers cited 'unnecessary bureaucracy', while others were overly concerned about the security of their personal details. I must admit most have overwhelmingly welcomed Rica as a means to creating a safer SA."
Pienaar stressed that the registration of all sim and data cards was integral to the government's plans for curbing crime, which was often perpetrated with the help and usage of cellphone technology.
In November the cabinet approved a six-month extension of the deadline for operators to register their customers' details, including identity numbers and addresses. Operators had originally been given until December to comply.
The group said its stores would be open for extended hours for two days in advance of the deadline.
Last week, rival group Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD] said it had registered 84.9% of its customers as at March 31, which meant that about four million sim cards were yet to be registered.
In its annual results presentation last month, Vodacom said it had 26.5 million customers.
SA's third operator, Cell C, told I-Net Bridge that in excess of 94% of its 7 million customers had already complied with Rica.
Virgin Mobile, which has about 300 000 subscribers in SA, said about 270 000 or 90% of its subscribers had registered their SIM cards.
8ta, the mobile arm of Telkom [JSE:TKG], launched after the new rules were made.
