Nine Is Enough: DoT Forces Telcos to Block Excess Mobile Connections
Public Lokpal
August 21, 2026
Nine Is Enough: DoT Forces Telcos to Block Excess Mobile Connections
To combat rising cyber frauds and identity theft, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to block new mobile connections for individuals who already hold the maximum permitted limit of nine SIM cards.
Under the new directives taking effect on August 24, 2026, telecom providers must utilize the government's Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) to screen applicants at the point of issuance.
If an applicant has already reached the legal ceiling of nine connections nationwide (or six in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and the Northeast), automated systems will block the request.
Operators have until November 30, 2026, to fully streamline their systems. Any connection slipping through past the limit during the interim phase will be suspended immediately under post-facto verification checks.
This proactive measure aims to choke the supply of fake or proxy numbers exploited by criminal syndicates.