All users of telecommunications services are reminded to register their subscriber identity module or SIM cards starting December 27 or face automatic deactivation.
Signed into law on October 10, 2022, Republic Act (RA) No. 11934 or the “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act” requires all subscribers to public telecommunications services to register their existing SIM cards within the prescribed period or face deactivation.
The National Telecommunications Commission released on December 12 the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Card Registration Act, which will take effect starting December 27.
Subscribers will have 180 days from the effectivity of the law to register their SIM cards. The registration may be extended by up to 120 days.
Newly purchased unregistered SIM cards will remain inactive until registered.
Telecommunications companies (telcos) or public telecommunications entities (PTEs) are in charge of maintaining the database.
Registration is free. SIMs, embedded SIMs, broadband modem, and internet-of-things devices are covered in the registration.
Globe Telecom announced on December 21 that the company is ready to register 87.9 million SIM users online starting December 27, while Smart Communications has released its guidance to all Smart and TNT subscribers on the registration process.
Globe said that by December 27, new SIM holders can only purchase deactivated SIMs and must register them immediately to avail themselves of Globe services.
Globe and TM customers will continue to enjoy Globe services, but must register until April 26, 2023 to avoid deactivation.
All Globe Prepaid, TM, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi, Globe Mobile WiFi and Globe Business prepaid subscribers can register their SIM cards on. https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg
By January, customers will also be able to register through the New GlobeOne app, the company said.
By February 2023, Globe is putting up assisted registration sites for those in need of help, those without access to the internet, or those using basic or feature phones.
Meanwhile, Smart Prepaid, Smart Bro, and TNT subscribers can register through https://smart.com.ph/simreg.
Smart Postpaid subscribers will be notified and will be asked for their confirmation. The customer details and documents they provided when they subscribed to Smart services will suffice.
Enterprise customers will be notified and will be asked for their confirmation to register their existing information with Smart through their authorized signatories.
For DITO subscribers, they are directed to register via the DITO app.
The SIM Registration Law aims to protect users from any SIM, internet or electronic communication-aided crimes such as terrorism; text scams; unsolicited, indecent or obscene messages; bank fraud; libel; anonymous online defamation; trolling; hate speech; and spread of digital disinformation or fake news.
Penalties will be imposed for violations of the law. For providing false information, fictitious identities or fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM, the offender faces imprisonment ranging from six months to two years or a fine of between P100,000 and P300,000, or both.
For the sale or transfer of a registered SIM without complying with the required registration, the penalty is imprisonment ranging from six months to six years, or a fine of P100,000 to P300,000, or both.
For spoofing a registered SIM, imprisonment of no less than six years or a fine of P200,000, or both, awaits the perpetrator.
For selling stolen SIMs, the penalty is imprisonment ranging from six months to two years, or a fine not less than P100,000 but not more than P300,000, or both.
