Smart, Globe call for extension of SIM registration deadline

Smart Communications and Globe Telecom urged the government to extend the deadline for SIM registration due to low registration turnout. 

Smart and Globe Telecom

Extend SIM registration deadline

The telcos issued their statements less than two weeks before the deadline. 

Smart said it would forward a formal request to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). 

Cathy Yang, first vice president and head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart, said extending the deadline would allow more customers, especially those in the marginalized sectors and living in the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas of the country, to secure government IDs and register. 

While we have led in the number of registrations to date with about 46% of our total number of subscribers already registered, and which is higher than industry average, we see the need to give subscribers more time to secure the government IDs required to register their SIMs. We stand ready with government to support any undertaking to fast track completing the SIM Registration process as required by law, Yang added.

Globe also shared a similar sentiment, while noting that it has been launching awareness and educational campaigns, but the registration count remains low. 

The telco said this was due to “the lack of valid government IDs, and challenged digital literacy.”

Given these issues, we appeal to the government to extend the SIM registration process to give our customers more time to get their required government IDs and input the required information on our site, Globe said.

Whether or not the government will accommodate the two telco's plea is still up in the air.

What do you guys think?