DICT expects not all SIM cards to be registered 

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it expects a decline in the number of activated subscriber identity modules (SIMs) after the April 26 deadline.

“We won’t reach 100% because many will voluntarily deactivate their SIM cards,” DICT Undersecretary Anna Mae Y. Lamentillo said in mixed English and Filipino on the sidelines of a book launch on Tuesday.

She said most people who have several activated SIM cards will opt to voluntarily deactivate their extra SIMs.

“Most individuals would only register one and would voluntarily deactivate their two other SIM cards,” she added.

The expected number of SIM cards to be voluntarily deactivated will also include the SIMs that have been used for scams and chain messages.

“Iyong mga ginamit for scams and ‘yung mga ginagamit for the chain messages na natatanggap nating lahat (The SIMs that were used for scams and chain messages that we received), I’m sure magkakaroon ng (will have) voluntary deactivation so, they won’t be able to use it anymore,” Ms. Lamentillo said.

She said that even the telco companies are expecting a decline in the number of active SIM cards in the system.

“I think we are already seeing the decline with the declining scam messages. Even though it is not completely eliminated now because we haven’t really deactivated the unregistered SIM cards, come the deadline, and we start deactivating the unregistered SIMs, I’m sure there will be a sharp decline as far as the fraud cases are concerned,” she said.

Smart Communications, Inc. will be rolling out assisted SIM registration touchpoints at SM City Tuguegarao on April 14-16; SM City Cebu on April 21-23; and SM City General Santos on April 28-30.

“We hope to make SIM registration more convenient for our subscribers, especially younger mobile users, through this rollout at SM Cyberzone. We are again grateful to SM Supermalls for their support in helping our customers register their SIM,” PLDT Inc. and Smart Senior Vice-President and Head of Consumer Sales Group Alejandro O. Caeg said.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom, Inc. will be rolling out SIM registration assistance desks in 51 sites across the country as it joins the eighth leg of the National Telecommunications Commission’s assistance program. — Justine Irish D. Tabile