SIM registration at 19.71% of 168 million total–DICT

FILIPINOS appears to be taking their own sweet time in registering their SIM cards that about two months before the deadline, the country has yet to register 80 percent of the total active SIMs.

At a news conference hosted by Globe Telecom Inc., National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)

Commissioner Ella Lopez said all of the telcos have successfully registered 33.3 million subscribers across the universe of mobile subscribers.

T his, she said, represents only 19.71 percent of the total 168 million mobile users in the Philippines.

We only have, ideally, until April 26 to generate as many successful SIM registration as possible,” she said. “Of course, we are hoping that the universe of SIM subscribers will register by April 26. We still have time that’s why we are encouraging everyone to register now. The NTC for its part has given a directive to regional offices to promote SIM registration.”

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)

Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo called this a “lull” that the government has already anticipated.

We are almost halfway into the implementation of the SIM registration, and we have observed a slowdown in the number of registrants. Although we anticipated this lull, we are compelled to do more. We must use this as an opportunity to engage more end-users to participate. It is vital that we reinforce our strategies primarily through effective information and education campaigns,” she said.

T he government and the telcos are putting premium on providing assistance to subscribers in registering their mobile numbers. They have set up assistance booths in public places to promote SIM registration.

Lamentillo noted that the challenge for the government and the telcos is “administrative or informational.”

That’s why we are really pushing for digital inclusion,” she said, noting that the DICT has already tapped the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to assist it in going to areas that have high feature phone penetration.

Globe Consumer Mobile Business Head Darius Delgado said the company is rolling out assistance desks in “over 500 locations across the country from February 20 onwards to make it easier for customers to register their SIM cards.”

Lamentillo noted that the DICT has yet to decide if it will seek an extension of the deadline for SIM registration.

We are not yet looking at the possibility of an extension. Right now we are calling on telcos to intensify the efforts as far as SIM registration is concerned. We are still sticking with the April 26 deadline. All hands are on deck to ensure the registration of as many users as possible,” she said.

Under the SIM Registration Act, mobile users are required to register their SIMs to reduce the proliferation of criminal activity, including smishing and other mobile phone and online scams that have spread due to the anonymity of unregistered SIMs.

Lorenz S. Marasigan