New Delhi, August 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom service providers to strictly enforce the existing limit of nine mobile connections per individual across all operators and licensed service areas in the country.
Under the new directions, effective August 24, 2026, telecom service providers will have to put in place technical and organisational measures to identify subscribers attempting to obtain a mobile connection after reaching the permitted limit.
Such subscribers must be informed that they already hold the maximum number of mobile connections allowed to an individual and that no additional connection can be issued, according to a DoT circular.
The directions also require applicants to declare in the Customer Application Form (CAF) the mobile connections already registered in their name across telecom operators and licensed service areas.
The DoT said the details of subscribers who have exceeded or reached the prescribed limit are available through its Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP). From August 23, a representative image of the photograph of each subscriber who has reached the limit will also be made available on the platform to help telecom companies identify such customers.
The DIP contains subscriber information submitted by various telecom companies and will assist service providers in determining whether an applicant has already reached the nine-SIM ceiling.
The circular further states that until a telecom provider implements the required measures on a post-facto basis, any connection activated beyond the permitted limit on a given day must be immediately suspended until the issue is resolved.
The respective Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) will act as the competent authorities for matters arising from implementation of the directions, the DoT said.
The nine-connection ceiling comes from instructions issued on August 9, 2012, under which an individual can hold a maximum of nine mobile connections across all telecom service providers and licensed service areas in India.
A lower limit applies in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East, where an individual can hold a maximum of six mobile connections.
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