Close to 96% of SIM owners now registered —DICT

Around 95% to 96% of SIM card owners who are expected to register are already registered, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Tuesday.

“As of May 10, 95 million na po, magna-96 million,” DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy told Dobol B TV in an interview.

“I expect mga 100 million more or less, so mga 95% to 96% na tayo,” he said when asked about the number of registrants that DICT is still waiting for to register and the percentage of total registration.

(I expect around 100 million more or less, so we have around 95% to 96% of registration.)

In April, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said the government is not aiming for a 100% registration of 168 million SIM owners.

Citing experiences from other countries that implemented SIM registration, NTC Deputy Commissioner Jon Paolo Salvahan said the average percentage of registered subscribers is only 70%.

Under the SIM Card Registration Act, users have 180 days, or until April 26, 2023, to register their SIMs or face the risk of having these deactivated.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., however, approved the 90-day extension of the SIM registration period, effectively moving the deadline to July 25, 2023.

Failure to register will result in the deactivation of SIMs.

The deactivation of SIM will prevent a subscriber from receiving and sending calls and text messages and accessing mobile applications and digital wallets. —KBK, GMA Integrated News