'RICA hiccups to be expected'

Mobile operators and retailers admit that despite all efforts to comply with the deadlines stipulated in the SIM card registration law, there are still teething problems.

Last week, ITWeb revealed that several retail outlets in the greater Johannesburg area are still confused about their role in the implementation of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA). ITWeb also discovered that several immediately accessible SIM cards are still available for purchase without registration.

The operators and retailers have admitted the process is far more complicated than expected; however, they say they are doing all they can to comply with the stipulated deadlines. The operators have a mammoth task considering that mobile penetration in SA has recently breached the 100% mark, most of which are prepaid SIMs.

The registration process was formally introduced at the beginning of July, requiring all the operators to register prepaid customers and contract clients. Registration requires that people present their full names and surname, a green bar code identification document, or a temporary ID or a passport, and proof of residence to a registration official or in-store when buying a SIM card.

Existing prepaid and contract customers still have 15 months to register.

The first milestone the operators need to reach is the removal of SIM cards that can be immediately activated without a registration process, replacing them with numberless SIM cards. This was supposed to have been completed by the beginning of this month.

Vodacom says there should be no new starter packs available on the market that will allow a user to immediately access the mobile networks. However, the company says there may still be “pre-provisioned” SIM cards on the market that were activated before RICA came into effect.

MTN says it has put a block on all new SIMs, both numbered and numberless, which will need registration to allow network activation. A SIM card purchased from MTN required ITWeb to register before being activated on the network.

Cell C says the SIM cards available for its network will receive a welcome message and a number via SMS; however, users will not be able to make calls until the card has been registered.

Despite the operators' assurances that retailers have been educated about their role in the capturing and registration of user details, many are still confused about how the process works. There also seems to be a technology roll-out deficiency in some areas.

All the mobile operators say they have completed training programmes with the various retailers; however, some admit the process needs more work.

Vodacom says it has trained trainers in the retail channels, but never expected the process to run perfectly. “Vodacom expected some teething problems in the first few months and it will take some time for the process to bed itself down.”

The company has decided to boost its investment in the training process to help the retailers expand on its education process.

Vodacom adds that integrating the technology into the retail chain IT systems also needs to be done once a retailer has chosen the type of technology it wants to use to capture RICA information.

MTN has also found that additional development on the technology is another complication. “Some retailers are also experiencing challenges in rolling out the required training, awareness, and RICA technologies to their respective stores. This does take time and MTN is working with our retail partners to speed up the roll-out.”

The company plans to maintain its training programme with the channel partners.

Cell C says it has not found any deficiencies in its retail channel partners' education in RICA. “All Cell C's retailers are able to conduct RICA events; some retailers use an integrated point of sale solution, while others prefer to use a standalone device. Roll-out is a continuous exercise to increase points where customers can access RICA.”

Retailers have admitted the process is slower than expected, but have not alluded to the technology integration problems expanded on by the operators.

Pick n Pay GM of e-commerce Warren Marsden says all the company's hyper stores and 230 of its corporate stores have been equipped with the correct RICA technologies. He says the company has appointed in-store agents that have been trained to capture all the mobile user information.

Shoprite Checkers marketing director Brian Weyers says the chain has been contracted by the operators to help with the capturing of details. Weyers says registration is ultimately not the responsibility of the retailers, but the mobile operators.

“In accordance with the new RICA Act, the group has implemented a system on which to register the required details of starter pack buyers. To the supermarket group's knowledge, the networks will not activate a SIM card on the network unless the required personal details of the purchaser and relevant SIM card details are captured on the registration system. If such an anomaly occurred, it will require an investigation in conjunction with the relevant network to find the reason,” he says.

“To comply with the RICA Act is an immense task for the operators, the retailer and the public at large,” says Vodacom. The company explains that the industry as a whole has launched an awareness campaign to help users find the best way to comply with the new Act.

Operators have already spent millions over the last few years in an attempt to get ready for the task of registering all their users. They have until the end of January 2011 to have all subscriber details in their databases.

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