All mobile operators have now completed connections to Vietnam’s VNeID national digital identity platform and transferred more than 115 million verified mobile subscriptions to the system.

Under Circular 08 governing mobile subscriber identity verification, two-way services were suspended from Aug. 15 for subscribers who had not completed the required procedures.

From Aug. 20, numbers whose users still failed to complete the required verification became subject to reclamation.

According to current figures, around 13 million mobile subscriptions have been either blocked in both directions or reclaimed because users did not complete the required information standardization and identity verification.

Operators have introduced different policies aimed at encouraging affected customers to return to their services while allowing them to retain their numbers if they properly register their subscriber information.

A VinaPhone representative said the operator was required to stop providing services to subscribers whose information had not been verified and return their numbers to its available number pool for reuse.

However, to give customers an opportunity to continue using their previous numbers, VinaPhone is allowing them to register their subscriber information again in accordance with regulations.

Customers can complete the registration at VinaPhone service centers or through the operator’s mobile application.

Viettel has taken a similar approach. A representative said the company had suspended services and reclaimed mobile numbers in accordance with Circular 08.

However, Viettel will allow customers who want to continue using affected numbers to do so as long as they properly register the required subscriber information.

Nguyen Quoc Chinh, CEO of VNSKY, told VietNamNet that phone numbers are important to many customers not only for communication but also for registering accounts and receiving verification codes for various services.

Losing mobile connectivity or having service temporarily suspended can therefore create significant disruption.

VNSKY has introduced a “Keep Your Number - Stay Connected” program to assist subscribers who have lost network access or had services suspended because they did not complete mandatory subscriber registration under Circular 08.

Customers whose SIM cards lose network access or whose services are suspended may worry that their phone numbers have already been reclaimed. For subscriptions covered by the program, however, users can still take the necessary steps to restore service and retain their numbers.

Even if customers no longer remember their phone number because their SIM has lost network access, they can check the original SIM card holder or previous SMS notifications from VNSKY to identify their mobile number and SIM serial number before beginning the restoration process.

This means a SIM being blocked, losing network access or having its service suspended does not necessarily mean the customer has permanently lost the number.

Eligible customers do not need to immediately abandon their old number or buy a new SIM. Instead, they can restore the subscription and properly register their identity information to retain the number and reconnect to the network.

Chinh said eligible customers can restore their subscriptions and complete identity registration online through VNSKY’s application.

Users can check previous SMS messages from VNSKY or the original SIM card holder to find their phone number and SIM serial number, then follow instructions to restore the subscription and register their information through the VNSKY+ app.

The online process allows customers to resolve the issue without changing the phone number they have been using or visiting a physical store.

VNSKY’s number-retention policy for eligible customers whose numbers were reclaimed because they failed to complete reverification in time will remain available until Oct. 10, 2026.

“We understand that when a SIM is blocked, customers can easily assume they have lost their number and need to switch to a new one,” Chinh said. “For subscribers eligible for the program, there is no need to immediately abandon the number they have been using. They can restore it and complete identity registration online through the VNSKY+ app to continue using the same number.”

Commenting on operators’ policies allowing customers whose services have been suspended to recover their numbers, a representative of the Authority of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Science and Technology said decisions on returning reclaimed numbers to operators’ number pools and making them available for reuse fall within the operators’ commercial discretion.

However, the essential condition for affected subscribers to resume service is that they must fully register their subscriber information in accordance with regulations.

The requirement is intended to protect customers’ interests while helping combat fraud and protect people in the digital environment, the representative said.

Thai Khang