THE number of SIM (subscriber identity module) cards being sold in the market went down following the implementation of the mandatory SIM card registration law, Information and Communications Technology secretary Ivan Uy said yesterday.
“Since nag-announce tayo nito, bumagsak ang bentahan ng SIM cards dahil dati itong mga scammers, itong mga sindikato, bili nang bili ng SIM card tapos tapon,” Uy said at a Palace press briefing.
“Ngayon alam nilang ‘di na nila magagawa ‘yun so bumagsak ang bentahan ng SIM Cards, which we anticipated that will happen,” Uy added, without providing numbers.
He said fewer SIM cards will be sold after the registration period ends.
“In terms of local population, the sales will be very, very small once this happens,” Uy said.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology earlier said over 12 percent of SIM cards across the country have been registered with telecommunications firms as of Jan. 15, 2023.
Citing data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the DICT said a total of 20,551,294 SIMs have been registered, translating to 12.16 percent of the 168.977 million subscribers nationwide.
The IRR of the SIM Card Registration Act took effect on Dec. 27, mandating all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to establish their own registration platform where they will onboard users who present valid identification cards.
Users are given 180 days to register their SIM cards, else face the risk of having these deactivated. (GMA Integrated News)
