NTC: Registered SIMs breached 100M as of mid-June

The number of mobile phone users who registered their SIMs or subscriber identification modules has breached 100 million as of the middle of June, over a month before the extended SIM registration expires.

Data from the SIM registration update posted on the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) website showed that a total of 100,048,884 SIMs were registered as of June 20, 2023.

The number accounts for 59.55% of the total 168,016,400 subscriber base.

Late April, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the 90-day extension of the SIM registration period or until July 25 from the original deadline of April 26.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is looking to register 70% of the total subscriber base to capture the “legitimate” SIM users.

The DICT will gradually deactivate some SIM services such as access to social media accounts and loss of ability to make outgoing call as the 90-day additional registration period moves forward.

Broken down, the 100.048 million registered SIMs are composed of 47.272 million Smart subscribers, accounting for the 71.30% of the company’s total 66.304 million subscriber base.

Globe followed with 45.868 million registered SIMs or 52.88% of its 86.746 million total subscribers.

DITO Telecommunity’s registered subscribers reached 6.908 million or 46.16% of its 14.964 million total customers. — Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA Integrated News