Mukesh Ambani’s Jio, Sunil Mittal’s Airtel, Vi hail DoT order on 90-day SIM deadline to WhatsApp, Telegram and others, say ‘such continuous linkage…’

Industry body COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) welcomed and praised this step by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), terming it as a landmark step towards strengthening national security and protecting Indian citizens; He referred to the latter’s move to make SIM binding mandatory for devices for App-Based Communication Services.

The comment by the apex body, whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, comes in the backdrop of government guidelines that will ensure that app-based communication services, including WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and others, are constantly connected to the user’s active SIM card.

DoT, in its latest directive, has called for SIM binding to prevent misuse of telecommunication identifiers or telecommunication equipment or telecommunication network or telecommunication services to further strengthen telecommunication cybersecurity. This instruction requires Application-Based Communication Services to remain permanently connected to the SIM card associated with the Mobile Phone Number used for identification of customers/users or provision or delivery of services.

According to COAI, such persistent connectivity ensures full accountability and traceability for all activities performed by the SIM card and its associated Communications Application, thus closing long-standing loopholes that allow anonymity and misuse.

“COAI congratulates the Department of Communications, Government of India, for introducing this world-first regulatory measure under which App-Based Communication Services are directed to connect to SIM for security and consistency measures,” COAI said in a COAI statement.

COAI said it strongly advocates linking communications applications with Mobile SIMs to strengthen national security and prevent cyber fraud and believes it is a much-needed initiative to ensure consumer trust, accountability, traceability and greater compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks.

Currently, app-based communication services connect to the subscriber’s mobile SIM card only once, during initial setup and verification. “From now on, these apps continue to work even if the SIM is removed, replaced or disabled, creating a significant scope for fraud. The new directive mandates that all relevant communication apps must ensure constant connection between the app and the SIM/phone number used for registration, thereby creating a more accountable digital environment by preventing anonymous abuse and protecting users in the online space,” COAI said.

COAI said it firmly believes that this mechanism will significantly reduce spam and fraudulent communications conducted through these platforms and help reduce financial frauds. Telecom operators are fully committed to supporting the smooth implementation of this directive.

COAI said telecom operators have already introduced a wide range of initiatives to curb spam and fraudulent communications on SMS and calls. COAI urges DoT to recommend compliance with similar measures in App-based Communication Services to ensure the highest possible mitigation of risks for subscribers across all communication channels.

“Furthermore, COAI urges DoT to collaborate with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure that the key factor of authentication in all financial transactions is necessarily through SMS OTP, which remains the most secure, operator-authenticated traceability-providing channel. Strengthening this requirement will create a consistent and secure authentication framework across the financial ecosystem, further reduce the risk of fraud and strengthen consumer confidence,” the COAI statement said.