Half of Philippine SIM cards face deactivation Wednesday

Government refuses telecom companies' request for delay to registration mandate

Failing to register a SIM card with a provider by the deadline could lead to deactivation. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)

YUICHI SHIGA, Nikkei staff writer

April 25, 2023 00:34 JST

MANILA -- About half of all mobile phone SIM cards in the Philippines could be deactivated this week under a government ban of unregistered cards, with significant implications for the nation's vibrant online services market.

Prepaid phones with unregistered SIM cards are widespread in the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration made registration mandatory as a crime deterrence measure last year, setting a deadline of April 26.