Getting a new mobile connection just got easier, faster and paperless for Aadhaar holders. People with Aadhaar numbers looking for a mobile connection from Vodafone, MTNL, BSNL, Airtel and Reliance will now be able to get their SIM activated instantly.
This is because the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has roped in the telcos to provide mobile connections to Aadhaar holders in a few cities paperlessly and instantaneously. The Aadhaar number is already a sufficient proof of identity and address for getting a new connection. While Vodafone has been roped in to do pilot projects in Hyderabad and Vijaywada from July onwards, the UIDAI has contracted with Reliance to do the same in Delhi. The pilots will be restricted to a few hundred connections initially.
As part of the paperless KYC to get mobile connections, UIDAI has tied up with these telcos to do online authentication of prospective users through micro ATMs. Due to this, the mobile SIM would be instantly activated.
Retailers selling connections can use Aadhaar enabled terminals to scan the QR barcode printed on Aadhaar letters making the data capture of the resident details fast and error free. Using Aadhaar authentication, the resident can then establish their identity in real time with a biometric authentication captured on the terminal.
“The telecom operator then stores the digitally signed authentication response from UIDAI as proof of verification. The retailer can provide a connection to any resident for whom the authentication is successful,? said a senior UIDAI official.
“We are in the process of identifying a few retail stores in these cities. As part of the online authentication process, mobile applicants would have to produce their Aadhaar letters and the 2-D barcode in the letter will be scanned and stored by the mobile operator for biometric authentication,? the official said.
This authentication would be done through the micro ATMs. Once verified, the applicants would be issued their SIM numbers that would be activated immediately. This instantaneous activation, the authority claims, will lead to electronic accountability. The authority has estimated that adopting Aadhaar authentication can result in substantial savings of over R1,000 crore annually for the telecom industry.