PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) is ramping up its rollout of assisted SIM Registration booths and touchpoints across the country, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged and conflict-affected areas (GIDCA) identified by the Philippine government.
“We are ready to help the government in accelerating assisted SIM Registration in GIDCA, in collaboration with the newly launched Interagency Response Center for SIM Registration. We are also committed to work with our regulator the National Telecommunications Commission, as it forms a Technical Working Group with other Public Telco Entities like ourselves, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and other government agencies to discuss further details,” according to Cathy Yang, FVP and head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.
Smart had earlier announced the availability of a wide network of assisted SIM Registration booths and touchpoints across the country, as part of its effort to facilitate SIM Registration for its customers, particularly those residing outside Metro Manila.
“The ability to provide inclusive SIM Registration assistance to our customers has been one of the key priorities of Smart, since the day we started laying the groundwork for our compliance to the SIM Registration Law, about twelve months ago. This is the reason why we had begun setting up assisted SIM Registration booths and touchpoints since the launch of the SIM Registration process last December 27, on the same day that we launched our SIM Registration portal http://www.smart.com.ph/simreg,” Yang added.
The government’s GIDCA database lists about 39,753 barangays across the country.
“We are progressively rolling out more assisted SIM Registration booths and touchpoints across the Philippines, with the help of local government units, to reach those with special needs, people with disabilities, those still using basic phones and devices. All this while we await further guidance from the TWG on where we go next, prioritizing customers located in GIDCA,” Yang added.
PLDT and Smart’s support for SIM Registration underscores the PLDT group’s longstanding consumer protection initiatives, which includes blocking SIMs that send ‘smishing’ messages and Uniform Resource Locators (URL) or links that lead to illegal activities, to help safeguard the public against emerging cyberthreats, vulnerabilities, and other online criminal activities.
“Smart’s commitment is there will be no one left behind, wherever they are in the country, whether they are in the islands or in the uplands. We will do our best to ensure that all Smart and TNT customers are able to comply with SIM Registration,” Yang ended.