The number of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards that have been registered as of June 15 has reached almost 100 million, or 59 percent of the mobile subscribers, according to the latest data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
This is within the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) target to register 100 million to 110 million subscribers nationwide until the end of the 90 days extension which ends on July 25.
NTC data showed the registered SIMs stood at 99.5 million, which is 59 percent of the total 168 million SIM users as of the end of December last year.
PLDT Inc.’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. has kept its lead among the local telcos in terms of SIM registration, with 47 million registered subscribers as of June 15, accounting for 71 percent of its total subscriber base.
At PLDT’s recent annual stockholders meeting, Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT president and chief executive officer, said collaboration with the government in coming up with the landmark law’s implementing rules and regulations, as well as the company’s focus on customer experience on its SIM registration platform, proved vital in its campaign.
“We made sure that Smart’s SIM registration customer experience would be seamless. It was important for us to understand the customer journey and make it as convenient to our customers as possible,” Panlilio said.
Smart also actively collaborated with national agencies and local government units to deploy thousands of assisted SIM registration booths across the country, particularly in remote, far-flung municipalities to help the elderly, persons with disabilities and those still using non-data phones to register their SIM.
“We also invested heavily in a customer education campaign. The series really caught the attention of our customers and was positively accepted by the market,” he said.
With the recent announcement of the deadline extension of the SIM Registration Act, Smart continues to encourage subscribers to register their SIMs before July 25.
Globe Telecom Inc. has registered 52.6 percent or 45.6 million of its subscribers, while Dito Telecommunity Corp.’s registered users has reached 45.7 percent or 6.8 million subscribers as of June 15.
As of early May this year, about 85 percent of Globe’s revenue-generating subscribers have already registered and the remaining subscribers are expected to do so before the deadline next month, Globe officials recently said.
“We have registered about 85 percent of our revenue generating base and we are confident (to be) fully registered (by July),” Globe said.
Last April, DICT said the 90-day extension of the SIM registration period is final and this will no longer be extended pursuant to Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.
