DICT says SIM registration improved with over 16M now on board

Two weeks after the SIM registration rolled out, did the process see any improvements?

File photo: SIM card

Over 16 million users registered

In a briefing on Tuesday, Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary Anna Mae Lamentillo said the SIM registration process has already improved since it commenced on Dec. 27. As of Jan. 9, more than 16 million users were already registered, she noted.

Authorities noted that Smart currently has the most registrations with over 7.5 million, followed by Globe (over 7.1 million), and DITO (over 1.4 million).

The process has actually improved if we look at the statistics. We already have more than 16 million SIMs registered as of January 9, and the number of complaints has significantly dropped from an average of 95 complaints during the first week, down to an average of 47 during the second week, Lamentillo said.

She said most of the concerns were about the telco's website malfunctioning or not loading, and subscribers not knowing where to register. There are also queries about how many SIMs a user can register, the deadline for registration, what to do when wrong details were entered, and concerns about data privacy, she added.

Along with the beginning of the registration was the launch of the 24/7 Complaint Center Hotline 1326, where the public can relay their concerns on SIM registration and other ICT-related concerns.

Having this Complaint Center gives us in the DICT and our attached agencies, a clear picture of the concerns of the public so we can relay them to our PTEs and we are aware if there is already a need to intervene to ensure that we provide end-users an efficient way to register their SIMs, Lamentillo said.

The DICT official said they are also now working on SIM registration for those in isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

This is done with other concerned agencies, like the Interior and Education departments, as well as the telcos themselves.

Our aim is to register at least one million SIMs every day. Currently, we are on track, but there could be a lull, and then a surge again once we are near the deadline, Lamentillo said.

The SIM registration is our protection against fraudulent calls, scams through text messages and even mobile apps that is why it is very important that we register all SIMs as soon as possible, she added.

Have you registered your SIM yet? Tell us about your experience.