17,000 extra SIM cards of subscribers beyond 9 connections deactivated

Altogether 17,000 of the 21,800 SIM cards found to be issued in excess of the permissible limit of nine mobile connections for one subscriber were deactivated in Bihar and Jharkhand in April and May so far, an official said on Sunday.

Such a move was taken by the Department of Telecommunication through an analysis using artificial intelligence (AI)-based facial recognition technology, he said.

“The artificial intelligence and facial recognition-powered solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification (ASTR) analysis by the DoT in April and May revealed that at least 21,800 mobile connections were issued violating the permissible limit of nine numbers for one subscriber in Bihar and Jharkhand.