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SIM Registration & Phone Number Portability

With the prevalent incidents of phone scams, it brings to mind the lobbying of certain sectors to require SIM registration for pre-paid users. A SIM, or subscriber identity module, for prepaid phone users are, up to now, completely anonymous allowing phone scams go unchecked and hard to trace because of this anonymity.

While post-paid subscribers are required strict compliance to documents for identity verification, prepaid users go unchecked. And a huge chunk of the subscriber base of these telecom companies (Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications & Sun Cellular) are using prepaid SIMs. With the registration comes similar benefits like that of post-paid subscribers — the ability to re-claim your phone number in case it got lost or the SIM card is damaged. Very important to people like me who has gathered hundreds of contacts over the years.

Malaysia has already initiated steps for SIM registration. When do we start with ours?

On the same note, Inq7.net published a story today about Congress gathering feedback from the public with regards to Phone Number Portability. I am not sure how they are doing it but perchance they bump into my blog any one of these days, I’d like to share/add some points:

  • Phone Number Portability allows for convenient switching between mobile providers because subscribers need not change their numbers and inform their contacts about it.
  • No more buying of new SIMs or SIM swap promotions just to trick people into switching providers.
  • Avoid subscriber-padding. I’m sure these telecoms are just counting the number of SIMs sold and not the actual number of people using them.

I would only imagine why them telcos are so opposed to it, raising technical and operational issues. I’d say it’s more of an economic concern for them.

P.S. Incidentally, my entry at Pinoy.Tech.Blog today is about my “Nokia 3230, up close and personal“.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

11 Responses

  1. Avatar for Emmanuel Ogujiofor Emmanuel Ogujiofor says:

    Pls i want to register

  2. Avatar for zafar zafar says:

    034621***** reg plz my nic number 3520230467349

  3. Avatar for jong jong says:

    oo nga… nakakagulat nga pagbalik ko eh ung simcard parang candy na lang kung ibenta…

  4. Avatar for Jaypee Jaypee says:

    I remember buying my sim card for P900 which had P500 worth of free text..im sure no one in his/her decent mind would pay for a sim card with that price now..hehe..how time flies. :D

  5. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    When the pre-paid SIm cards were introduced by SMART & Globe in the late 1990’s, it costs about Php 990+ or more more.

    If production costs of these SIM cards are getting more expensive, then I wonder why they sell them now at about Php 150 a pop.

    I believe it’s more of a marketing ploy than economics. Just like printers, OEMs now sell them cheap and just rely on the consumables (i.e., inks) for the profits.

  6. Avatar for jong jong says:

    hmm… Nakapagaral kase ako sa saudi nung highschool ako at nung na introduced dun iyong simcards eh puro postpaid lang. ang hirap magapply kase nga register pa etc… then after a year yata mag3rd yr HS ako nun 2002 yata eh nagkaron na ng prepaid sim pero mahirap parin magapply kase ang process eh pareho lang ng sa postpaid… wala lang.. cguro dapat ganun narin lang dito sa pinas para less ang mga scams… dba?

    well basta kumikita sila eh wala na silang paki…

  7. Avatar for Jaypee Jaypee says:

    what i like about this is reclaiming my number and contacts in case i lose my fone or sim card so i wont have to go over and make new entries again. :)

  8. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    But they already have the system and the process of registration. And they can always require the distributors and resellers of the pre-paid SIMs to request registration. I believe the subscribers are also willing to do this since it will ensure that they numbers can be re-produced (and re-claimed) if ever they loose it or if the SIM cards are damaged.

    When I bought my new Smart SIM, the saleslady asked me to fill up and info (and survey) form to go along with the purchase. Took me about 5 mins to fill it up. That easy.

  9. Avatar for Jaypee Jaypee says:

    I think we should adapt this kind of system..the problem is as Darkblak mentioned, it causes both operational & technical issues and also it would mean more costs and less profit for the telecom companies. these companies have these sim-swap promos so that people would switch and i and i have heard that when they get the exchanged sim cards, they destroy or burn them. the fact that they already charge too much for text messaging and per minute phone calls it seems it isn’t enough for these monsters! :P

  10. Avatar for Kates Kates says:

    Maybe it has something to do with the cost of registration and support. With the current setup, your only choice when you lost your prepaid sim is to buy another. If there is registration, they must have support/service crew to facilitate. They think the cost of servicing prepaid is higher.

  11. Avatar for DarkBlak DarkBlak says:

    “I would only imagine why them telcos are so opposed to it, raising technical and operational issues.”

    sayang daw kikitain nila eh :)

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