On December 12, 2022, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) released the implementing rules and regulations on Republic Act No. 11934, or the SIM Registration Act to be implemented on December 27, 2022.
To register their SIM, subscribers must provide a photo and a valid government-issued ID.
All SIMs, including eSIMs and even those used in IoT (Internet of Things) devices, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connections, and wireless broadband modems, must be registered.
After the law takes effect, subscribers will have 180 days to register their SIM cards. Failure to register will result in the loss of access to these SIM cards. After registration, but no later than five days after deactivation, the SIMs may be revived, according to the NTC.
According to the IRR, SIM registration will also be carried out electronically using a secure platform or website made available by the telcos.
SIM cards of Telco subscribers who will refuse to comply with the said rules will be deactivated.
Furthermore, Public Telecommunication Entities (PTE) operators who fail to register subscriber’s sim cards may be fined up to P1 million under the IRR released by NTC.
The DICT and the NTC will also get together to talk about the potential for setting up registration facilities in remote locations or places without internet access.
After the NTC published the IRR for Republic Act No. 11934, also known as the SIM Registration Act, Poe made the call.
According to her, a robust and firm verification process, similar to what is observed in typical Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures, is a proactive protection against potential system abuses.
Poe warned NTC that Congress would keep doing its oversight activities and would keep an eye on the strict adherence to the law.
Source: Inside Politico | #InsidePolitico | December 13, 2022