The first deadline for Bulgarian mobile phone users with prepaid SIM cards expired on December 31, with more than 2,3M failing to register the required data with their operators.

According to information provided by the three Bulgarian mobile operators - Globul, M-Tel and Vivacom - 53% of users will now face progressive restrictions on use of their phones. The blocking of outgoing calls and text messages has come into effect on Monday, the first working day of the year.

Unregistered users may still receive incoming calls and messages until the end of January. If they still have not registered their details, according to the decision of the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), all services of unregistered prepaid cards will be completely stopped.

The restriction is related to changes made to the Bulgarian Electronic Communications Act and the Decision of the Commission on Regulating Communications, that were announced in September 2009.

Approximately 880 000 subscribers, or nearly 40% of all users of M-Tel Prima have registered with the network operator, the company has reported.

Another 900 000 customers of Globul b-connect and Frog Mobile have provided their personal data to the operator. They represent about 50% of all customers of the company.

Vivacom has reported 70% registration, a figure that represents about 280 000 prepaid customers.

The registration of the cards until 31 January is free of charge. The procedure must be carried out in person or by an authorized representative at the offices of the operators, their business partners and departments of the Bulgarian Posts.

Customers of prepaid mobile services who are not over 18, can choose between parents, grandparents or other legal representatives, under whose name to register their cards.

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