Philippines operators Smart Communications and Globe Telecom called on the government to extend a 26 April deadline after less than half of their subscribers registered their SIMs.

In letters to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Smart asked for more time for subscribers to secure the government IDs required to register.

In a statement, Smart noted 46 per cent of its total subscribers have so far registered.

The operator added it set up hundreds of assisted SIM registration booths across the country in collaboration with NTC, DICT, the Department of Interior and other agencies.

Globe, which registered 27.9 million subs, or about 32 per cent of its total mobile customer base, also appealed for an extension to the SIM registration process to give customers additional time to obtain their required government IDs.

It also urged the government to accept alternative forms of identification, as many customers don’t have valid government-issued IDs, and allow conditional registration, enabling individuals to continue using their services while they work to obtain a valid ID within a reasonable period.

In an update last week, DICT stressed it would not extend the deadline, with failure to register resulting in the deactivation of SIM cards.

Its data showed the number of registered SIMs reached nearly 62.2 million on 7 April, or 36.8 per cent of total subscribers. Dito Telecommunication registered 4.7 million.

The government introduced the SIM registration act in October 2022 to help deter text scams and other mobile phone-aided criminal activities.