The Indian government is cracking down on the enforcement of mobile connection limits, barring telecom operators from issuing new SIM cards to subscribers who have reached their permitted ceiling from August 24. Under a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) circular issued on August 17, service providers must implement technical and organisational safeguards to catch attempts to bypass these restrictions and inform non-compliant customers directly.
While the threshold itself is longstanding — capped at nine connections nationwide, and six for residents in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and North-Eastern states — the mechanism for enforcement is shifting significantly. Rather than relying on post-activation checks, operators must now verify a subscriber's existing network presence before issuing an additional SIM. Applicants are also required to declare all existing numbers across all networks and service areas on their Customer Application Form (CAF).
To streamline cross-operator verification, providers will plug into the government’s centralised Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP). From August 23, this platform will incorporate a photo-based identification feature displaying a representative image for users at their connection cap, giving operators clear grounds to reject non-compliant applications.
Telecom providers have until November 30 to fully align their systems with the DIP. In the interim, any connection activated in breach of the rules faces immediate one-day suspension under standard CAF terms while the discrepancy is addressed. Overseen by local Licensed Service Areas, the directive aims to plug systemic loopholes and strictly confine mobile usage to legal limits.
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