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DICT: SIM card sales drop after mandatory registration

The number of SIM cards sold has dropped since the start of mandatory SIM registration, said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“Since nag-announce tayo nito, bumagsak ho ang bentahan nila ng SIM cards dahil dati itong mga scammers, itong mga sindikato bili nang bili ng SIM card, tapon, SIM card, tapon,” said DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, referring to scammers who buy SIM cards by the boatload for use in fraudulent activities.

“Ngayon alam nila na hindi na nila magagawa iyon so bumagsak ngayon iyong bentahan ng SIM cards which we actually anticipated that will happen,” adds Uy.

SIM registration started in the Philippines on December 27, 2022, to combat the widespread use of mobile phones for text scams and other criminal activities.

So far, DICT reports that over 24 million SIM cards have been registered, as of January 22, 2023. Smart Communications reports a total of 12,167,220 SIMs registered, which is 17.9 percent of their total subscriber base. Globe Telecom recorded 9,988,656 registered or around 11.37 percent of its base. Lastly, DITO reports a total of 1,964,665 SIMs registered, or 14.99 percent of its base.

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The deadline for SIM registration is on April 26, 2023. The registration may be extended by the DICT for a period not exceeding 120 days. Unregistered SIMs will be deactivated after the period.

For details on how to register your SIM cards, go here.

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Bryan is a geek at heart and a tech enthusiast by choice. He has a strong background in corporate communications, marketing services, and customer relations having worked in the telecommunications and banking sectors for over two decades. In his spare time, he enjoys watching clips on YouTube and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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