The telecoms regulator has conducted several subscriber identification campaigns, notably in 2007, 2013, 2015, and 2016, without achieving the expected results. In October 2023, it revealed that 6 million unidentified SIM cards had been deactivated.
Senegalese telecom consumers are required to identify their SIM cards by March 31 to avoid having them suspended, the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARTP) announced on Thursday, March 13.
"All customers with an incorrectly identified SIM card are invited to regularize their situation by presenting a valid identity document (National Identity Card or Passport) to their operator or at dedicated points of sale," the telecoms regulator explained in a press release. It specified that the suspension of irregular SIM cards will be preceded by a restriction starting March 18.
According to the ARTP, the mandatory SIM card identification campaign aims to strengthen public safety and consumer protection. It comes amid an accelerated digital transformation marked by the rapid and growing adoption of electronic communications services. Indeed, the number of mobile phone subscriptions in Senegal increased from 17.8 million in 2019 to 24.1 million in 2024. Over the same period, the number of internet subscriptions increased from 12 million to 21.1 million. At the same time, there has been a resurgence in fraud involving these services.
For this reason, in November 2016, the ARTP had already deactivated more than 5 million SIM cards following an identification campaign launched in May. Similar initiatives, carried out in 2007, 2013, and 2015, however, failed to achieve the expected results. In October 2023, the regulator announced that six million unidentified SIM cards had been deactivated. In January 2025, it called on telecom operators to take the necessary measures to ensure that subscribers are identified when subscribing to services, as required by law.