Subscribers grumble after first day of SIM registration hit by glitches

THE COUNTRY’S major mobile network carriers faced a slew of consumer complaints on Tuesday after glitches marred the first day of mandatory subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration.

The official Facebook pages of Globe Telecom, Inc., Smart Communications, Inc., and DITO Telecommunity Corp. were flooded with subscribers’ complaints about technical issues they encountered in registering their SIM cards.

Responding to a user, Globe said: “We’re sorry if you’re having trouble accessing the SIM Registration page, which is currently experiencing birth pains.”

Smart, the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., said in a statement that some of its subscribers may have experienced difficulty accessing the SIM registration website (https://simreg.smart.com.ph/) “due to the high volume of registrants.”

A representative of new entrant DITO Telecommunity told reporters via Viber that it managed to address “most of the complaints.”

“T��� first two weeks of the implementation of the SIM registration is considered as a test period, wherein some glitches or technical issues are expected as the public telecommunications entities (PTE) fine-tune their respective processes,” the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said in a statement.

During the 15-day test period, the DICT said mobile network carriers should be able to assess what they need to improve to make the registration process more efficient and easier for subscribers, it added.

In an e-mailed statement, Globe said that “several customers” were able to access its registration site between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. but the portal temporarily went offline as the site was “being optimized.”

Globe said it was working to have the registration platform back up “within the day.”

As of press time, its website https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg is still inaccessible.

The Ayala-led telco said it will contact existing postpaid subscribers to confirm and complete their registration.

“Technical teams are working double time so the online platform can go live before the day ends. Rest assured that we are optimizing our systems to give you a better registration experience. We’d also like to remind our customers that there is enough time to register,” said Maria Yolanda C. Crisanto, sustainability and corporate communications head of Globe Group.

Globe estimates that its network has 87.9 million SIM users.   

Meanwhile, PLDT group Corporate Communications Head Cathy Y. Yang told Cignal TV’s One Balita Pilipinas news program that Smart has around 67 million subscribers who need to register their SIM cards. 

“T��� three million of them are postpaid subscribers. The process is different for postpaid because they only need to text ‘yes’ to 5858,” she said in Filipino.

There were technical issues when Smart’s registration platform went live, Ms. Yang said but those were addressed “immediately.”

Meanwhile, DITO said it has “nearly 15 million subscribers and potential customers” who are expected to register.   

“Subscribers who successfully register their SIM cards will receive 2GB bonus data,” DITO said in a statement.

The SIM Card Registration Act, which took effect on Oct. 28, requires the registration of all SIM cards in the country.

All mobile device users have to register their SIMs on their telcos’ authorized registration platforms within 180 days from the effectivity of the law or until April 26, 2023. The DICT may extend the registration period by another 120 days.

Under the rules, anyone who provides false information or who uses fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM may face up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of not more than P300,000.    

Mobile service companies that fail or refuse to register SIMs may face fines of up to P1 million.

The DICT launched a 24/7 SIM registration complaint center, where subscribers can report their concerns or make suggestions on how to improve the registration process.

The DICT said concerns related to the SIM registration process can be directed to its Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center through hotline 1326.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in ����ý through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin