The telecom majors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have halted plans to launch express home delivery of mobile SIM cards in 10 minutes following a ‘National Security Reminder’ warning from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Last month, Jio had informed the telecom ministry of its intention to fast-track SIM card deliveries to subscribers' homes—similar to Airtel’s plans to offer a faster onboarding process by partnering with Blinkit for 10-minute delivery, at a convenience fee of ₹45.
However, the DoT intervened, objecting to the delivery of SIM cards before customer verification was completed, citing national security concerns.
“A directive was issued to all telecom companies requiring Aadhaar-based self-KYC to be fully completed before SIM cards are delivered to customers. This is to strengthen security, particularly after recent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir,” explained a senior security official.
According to DoT officials, Jio has since dropped its plan for express SIM card delivery following the directive.
“Jio has withdrawn the plan for express delivery of SIM cards and will revise its business model to comply with DoT’s requirements,” confirmed a senior Jio official, requesting anonymity.
Bharti Airtel is also reviewing its doorstep SIM delivery service due to the requirement for pre-delivery KYC verification.
The rapidly expanding telecom industry, especially with the roll-out of 5G services, sees quick SIM delivery as a key growth and monetisation tool.
Meanwhile, Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea have requested right-of-way (RoW) access to install telecom infrastructure at major Indian airports. They are seeking permission to deploy in-building solutions (IBS) for telecom connectivity without involving third-party infrastructure providers.
The telecom operators have written to the airport authorities in Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai, urging the respective chief executives to allow a joint survey of the premises and grant RoW for deploying a common IBS network. The telcos cited regulatory norms that prohibit third-party vendors from deploying active telecom infrastructure, allowing only licensed telecom service providers with spectrum rights to set up IBS for seamless, high-quality telecom connectivity.
