DAVAO CITY –— The Department of Infomation and Communications Technology is eyeing a 120-day extension of its deadline of SIM registration as registration figures remain low.
DICT Assistance Secretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said only 38.8 percent of the 168.9 million SIMs in the country have so far been registered, based on the latest figures from the National Telecommunications Commission.
Telecommunications giant Globe and Smart have already appealed to the government to extend the deadline for SIM registration.
Earlier rule stated hat Telco subscribers have only until April 26 to register their SIMs or risk deactivation.
But during the early days of SIM registration, subcribers complained of the low internet connectivity in the country which hampered their registration.
Aside from snail-paced internet signal, the subscribers lack of identification card is a problem because government issued ID card is requied.
In an interview, Dy said “Wala pang policy kung mag-eextend. Pinag-uusapan sa ngayon, and we are mindful of the April 26 deadline vis-à-vis the very low adoption, or registration statistics.”
Telcos and government agencies are already studying how to make the process of SIM registration easier, Dy said.
“Sa postpaid kasi madali. You just send a keyword to a number. Reply to their text lang. Maybe they have to try to also make it simpler, also for people na nasa prepaid na mag-register,” Dy noted.
“The e-government department ng DICT… is also developing a system which we can offer to telecommunications providers na mayroon na siyang parang KYC or know your customer, so it becomes easier for you to know your SIM card… at least kung naka-smart phone ka mas madali,” dagdag niya.
The DICT meanwhile continued to appeal to the public to register their SIMs, saying this will help curb text scams.
“SIM card registration, though, not necessarily preventive, is a deterrent sa cybercrime, specifically sa phishing and scam, because it will help us attribute scammers and phishers,” he said.
Dy however said he is personally not in favor of a 120-day extension.
