Lose your mobile phone

service in next few days

CORTES, Bohol, April 21, (PIA) –By the time you are reading this, you if you have not registered your phone’s Subscriber Information Module (SIM), you may have barely 3 days before that phone service leaves you up and dry.

This, as when the government implements the SIM card registration law, public telecommunications entities (PTE) like Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Dito Tele-community have advanced the information that they are not extending the registration.

Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Card Registration Act mandates all end-users to register their mobile phone numbers starting December 27.

Subject in the registration are all SIMs, including those used for mobile phones, prepaid Wi-Fi kits, and other devices, whether they are in card or electronic form.

Legislators claim and most people agree that without a registration law, the government can hardly safeguard consumers against nefarious practices that have been prevalent with unregistered SIM cards.

These include scams, smishing, and other forms of online and mobile fraud.

When criminals can use prepaid SIMs without registering any of their personal information, it makes them harder for law enforcement authorities to get them and they can continue their illegal activities anonymously and avoid detection.

That nefarious practice has neared its end.

And while the law provides for 180-day registration period, PTEs think that the first 120 days would be enough, that an extension after April 26 was not among those considered.

In fact, during a special SIM registration held at the Bohol Island State University Tagbilaran City Campus last March, PTEs noted the low registration turn-out, many are simply waiting to see if the government is really serious about its campaign against cybercrimes.

PTEs however also see that not all mobile phones can be used to register the number, as the registration protocol uses a self-shot of the SIM card owner to complete the registration.

Some mobile phone owners do not have enabled camera on their phones, making their registration hard.

There are also mobile phones that can not connect to the internet, a key requirement for registration. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

GET HELP. BISU students lined up to get personal assistance from SMART communications during a special SIM registration organized by PIA Bohol for its members and the BISU Community. Smart admits there are mobile phones that can not be used to facilitate registration, and the best thing to do is get to the public telecommunications entities: Globe, Smart or Dito to be registered. (PIABohol)