SIM Card Registration Launch Marked With Technical Glitches

The first day of the SIM card registration faced bad gateways and glitches, according to early registrants.

For DITO, the telco company did not have as many problems as the former duopoly of Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. since DITO users register directly in the DITO app.

“While the telco can’t cite the exact numbers of SIM registrant complaints, so far, DITO SIM reg is via the DITO app direct so, we don’t have as much problems,” DITO executives said.

DITO reported over 400,000 successful SIM registrants, reported by Chief Administrative Officer, Atty. Adel Tamano.

“Based on our internal tests, it takes an average of four minutes to complete the process,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Globe apologized to mobile customers after its site went offline on the day of the portal launch.

“We discovered potential minor vulnerabilities in our microsite that require careful patching to prevent any serious threat to customer data.”

“This happened despite all the preparation, technical tests, and due diligence we have conducted,” Globe said.

Globe informed the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) about the issue on its SIM registration portal, new.globe.com.ph/simreg, and requested a 72-hour observation to implement system fixes.

“Globe takes full responsibility for the actions it has taken and is prepared to accept any regulatory penalty if merited, to prioritize the protection of its customer’s data.”

For Globe customers, registration via the Globe One app will begin by January 2023, while on-site registration will start on February 2023 for those facing challenges using digital or online platforms or having no internet access.

Smart’s subscribers were also confronted with a “bad gateway” message in accessing the telco’s SIM registration site.

Smart said that its technical team is working to boost its capacity to accommodate its high volume of registrants.

Source: Manila Bulletin