Indotel is giving telecoms 30 days to disconnect SIM cards that are not tied to a verified identity –a cedula (ID card), passport or residency card with the photo of the individual.
Cell phone activation on prepaid plans has been allowed without these requirements in the past, enabling thousands who do not have IDs to have smart phones in use.
The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) has mandated mobile service providers to verify the identities of all prepaid users within 30 days. The move, formalized through Resolution No. 064-2025, aims to combat the illegal use of phone lines, enhance user protection, and assist law enforcement in criminal investigations.
The resolution was announced during a press conference held at the Indotel Cultural Center, amid rising concerns over the widespread activation of phone lines without proper identification — a loophole that authorities say hampers efforts to track criminal activity and puts users at risk.
Under the new regulation, all mobile carriers must identify each user using official documentation —a national ID card, passport, or residency permit — and securely store this data. Companies are also required to notify customers of the validation process via SMS or other communication channels. Users who fail to complete the verification process within the deadline will have their lines suspended for up to two months, after which they may be permanently canceled.
Guido Gómez Mazara, president of Indotel’s board of directors, said the resolution responds to a formal request from the Attorney General’s Office, which reported 54,378 cases of lost or stolen phones in the past 18 months — an average of 3,021 per month or 100 per day. The actual number could be significantly higher, as these figures do not include unreported thefts or cases filed directly with the National Police.
“We estimate that around 4,000 stolen phones enter the country each month from abroad,” Gómez Mazara said. “At the same time, roughly 400,000 prepaid lines are activated monthly — 85% of which are sold informally on the street. This makes them difficult to trace and control.”
He emphasized that the resolution is both corrective and preventive. “As the regulatory authority, it is our responsibility to ensure every mobile line is properly identified. This initiative supports law enforcement, protects consumers, and strengthens public trust in the telecom system.”
The measure is based on Articles 11 and 31 of the General Regulations on Telephone Services, as well as Article 10 of the Standards Governing Public Telecommunications Service Contracts, which require all lines to be tied to a verified identity before activation.
Beyond individual security, the regulation also aims to enhance the effectiveness of the national 911 emergency response system, which relies on accurate user data, and to support the work of intelligence agencies and prosecutors in fighting crime linked to mobile device use.
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Indotel
30 June 2025