Hanoi (VNA) - About 18 million mobile subscriptions that have yet to complete mandatory identity verification had their outgoing calling and messaging services suspended on June 15, according to preliminary data from telecom operators, as Vietnam begins enforcing new subscriber management regulations.
Under Circular No. 08/2026/TT-BKHCN, mobile operators are required to restrict one-way services for subscribers that have not confirmed ownership information. The measure marks the first step in a roadmap aimed at improving subscriber management and preventing the misuse of unregistered SIM cards.
Preliminary figures show that more than 93 million mobile numbers had completed ownership verification by the morning of June 15, while over 2 million numbers were identified as not being used by their registered owners. Around 18 million subscriptions had yet to confirm their status and were therefore subject to the suspension of outgoing calls and text messages.
Of the unverified subscriptions, around 10 million are believed to have a high likelihood of being inactive or no longer in use.
Among major operators, more than 8 million subscriptions were affected by the suspension at Viettel and VinaPhone alone.
According to Viettel Telecom, more than 5 million mobile subscriptions that had not completed verification were restricted from making outgoing calls and sending text messages from midnight on June 15. The operator said customers could quickly restore services by verifying their information through the My Viettel app, the Viettel Tammi platform, or the VNeID national digital identity platform.
Customers may also complete the process in person at approximately 50,000 verification points nationwide, including Viettel stores, authorised agents, and partner retail chains. Viettel said it has maintained full staffing at service centres and mobile support teams across the country. A dedicated hotline for elderly and disabled customers remains available, with staff providing home-based assistance when necessary.
VinaPhone also began suspending outgoing services for nearly 3 million unverified subscriptions from 9 a.m. on June 15. Customers can verify their information online via the My VNPT app or through VNeID for those with a Level-2 electronic identification account. Verification services are also available at VinaPhone and VNPT transaction offices nationwide.
Under the regulations, subscribers whose outgoing services have been suspended will have an additional 60 days, until August 15, to complete verification.
Telecom providers have urged customers to complete verification promptly, warning that service interruptions could affect access to banking OTP codes, e-wallet transactions, online public services, and business activities.
The impact may be particularly significant for small businesses, online sellers, and workers who rely on mobile phones for customer contact and transactions.
Operators stressed that services will be restored immediately once verification is successfully completed, without requiring customers to wait until later deadlines. They encouraged affected subscribers to complete the process as soon as possible to avoid prolonged disruptions./.
VNA
