The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) reportedly said on Wednesday it opposes plans by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to require mobile customers to register for SIM cards in person rather than online, saying it would slow down SIM registrations.
The Philippine government passed the SIM Registration Act in 2022 which requires telcos to verify the identity of SIM card users, particularly for prepaid SIMs. The law has been pitched as a security measure to combat fraud and other crimes.
The NTC is currently seeking to amend the law based on its experience with SIM registration so far. According to the Philippine Star, one amendment being proposed is to mandate that customers register in person as a way to counter the problem of people using fake IDs to register online.
The NTC argues that the process would be no different from applying for a driver’s licence. However, PCTO vice president Roy Ibay complained that the proposal amounts to making SIM registration a manual process that will be much slower. Ibay said face-to-face registrations presented significant logistical and financial challenges for telcos, and would likely slow mobile subscriber growth, the report said.
Rather than mandating all customers to appear in person, the PTCO recommended that the NTC establish dedicated hubs in select areas where customers could register in person in cases where they’re having trouble validating their IDs online, or when the online registration portal is down, the report added.
The PCTO also suggested the government establish an ID database that telcos can use to verify SIM customer IDs online.
