Definition :
Number of mobile SIMs = Number of mobile SIMs prepaid + Number of mobile SIMs postpaid
UN Partnership Definition
Users of portable telephones subscribing to an automatic public mobile telephone service using cellular technology, which provides access to the PSTN. Users of both postpaid subscriptions and prepaid accounts are included.
ITU Definition
Refers to the use of portable telephones subscribing to a public mobile telephone service and provides access to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) using cellular technology. This can include analogue and digital cellular systems. This should also include subscribers to IMT-2000 (Third Generation, 3G). Subscribers to public mobile data services or radio paging services should not be included. If this service has a name, please indicate in a note, as well as the year the service commenced operation. |
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Comments:
Subscribers (Users) v SIMs
It is increasingly clear that data can be collected (at best) on the number of active SIM cards. Counting the number of mobile subscribers (users) is almost impossible as even users at the bottom of the pyramid own multiple SIM cards.
“Active” Only
Differentiating between all SIM card subscribers (i.e. counting all SIM cards ever issued by an operator) and active subscribers (those who have used a service at least once over a specified period) is necessary in order to avoid over or undercounting the subscriber base.
Defining the term “active” first requires agreement on the time period during which a SIM card has been used. Initial inquiries from regional operators indicate that they have the capability to count SIMs that have been used within a given period of time. It is therefore suggested, that SIMs that have been used in the past 3 months be considered when computing this indicator.
However, defining the term “active” also requires agreement on the type of services – are SIMs that use any service within the defined time period counted as active, or is it only SIMs that use a fee-paying service within the defined period that count as active. While this question may not have significance in CPP (Calling Party Pays) regimes, it may be important in RPP (Receiving Party Pays) countries or for certain types of plans (e.g. “life-time SIM” cards issued by certain operators).
Clearly however, further discussion is required to ensure that the collection of such detailed data does not pose undue expenses on the operator since gathering such comprehensive information could prove to be prohibitive in terms of cost. In the absence of an accepted time-limit or types of services that define the term “active”, it is suggested that the data be footnoted to give as much clarity as possible (e.g. footnote might say “all SIMs that have been used in the past 12 months to make or receive a call or SMS are reported”),
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