Registered SIM cards reach 70% of minimum target – DICT

MANILA, Philippines — With just 30 days to go before the extended deadline for SIM card registration expires, more than 100.6 million SIM cards have been registered or almost 70 percent of the minimum target set by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

As of Sunday, the total number of SIM cards registered stood at exactly 100,601,136, according to the DICT.

Of the total, 6,978,581 were registered with Dito Telecommunity, 46,097,419 with Globe Telecom and 47,525,136 with Smart Communications.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy earlier said they hoped to see 100 million to 110 million more SIM cards registered by the end of the extended deadline on July 25 to capture the legitimate telco subscribers in the country.

The minimum target of 70 percent registered SIM cards totaled 168,977,773. Uy had ruled out extending the deadline.

Globe Telecom, meanwhile, has renewed its appeal to subscribers to have their SIM cards registered in compliance with Republic Act 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Law, saying the law is critical in maintaining the quality, integrity and security of network services.

Registered subscribers will not only enjoy continued access to mobile and data services but will also benefit from enhanced cybersecurity measures to protect them from fraud and other cybercrimes.

Customers who fail to register their SIMs before the deadline will forfeit their existing load and promo registrations by July 31. Their SIMs will also be deactivated.

SIM deactivation will have impact on subscribers’ day-to-day activities such as online payments, transport booking and deliveries and access to mobile data for learning, earning and leisure.

“We strongly encourage all our subscribers who have yet to register their SIMs to do so before the July 25 deadline. Government has already given ample extension from the original deadline. We hope they finally comply,” Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

“We reiterate that registering your SIMs will provide an added layer of protection against text scams and other forms of fraud. Registering your SIMs will be for your own benefit, and we’ve made it convenient to complete this step whether online or on site,” he said.