Cambodia announces six-month deadline to regularise mobile number registration

On December 7, during the 2025 Internet Governance Forum, Cambodia's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications announced plans to strengthen real-name registration of mobile services. Minister Chea Vandeth said the government had set a final six-month transition period. From June 2026, all mobile numbers not registered in their users' own names would be deactivated to make the national telecommunications system safer and better regulated. According to the report, registering mobile numbers in other people's names had long been a problem in Cambodia. Some operators failed to verify users' identities strictly when selling SIM cards, and violations included using one employee's identification to register more than a hundred numbers in bulk. Chea Vandeth said these practices disrupted the industry and created vulnerabilities for cybercrime and fraud, making a thorough clean-up necessary. Chea Vandeth said telecommunications authorities had launched a comprehensive rectification drive and required operators to cooperate in rechecking users' identities. The government urged people to complete registration in their own names promptly to avoid deactivation after the deadline. He said the measure would strengthen national cybersecurity foundations, improve overall governance of the telecommunications industry and create a more secure environment for the future development of a digital society. Compiled by this station