A total of 1.5 million Digicel subcriber identity module (SIM) cards have been registered with 2.5 million yet to go.
But a time limit has now been placed on the operators to have all its subscribers registered before January 23, 2018.
Both Bmobile and Telikom were not able to give a confirmation on how many subscribers have registered so far when contacted by the Post-Courier.
According to the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA), both Bmobile and Telikom have not revealed the number of SIMs registered by them despites requests to do so by the regulator.
These two operators have only been providing percentages, which they claim to be around 60, 70 percent registered.
However, NICTA is hoping that once the next monthly reporting is due and they will try obtaining a figure from them.
NICTA chief executive officer, Charles Punaha re-iterated that it is compulsory everyone must have their SIM cards registered before the deadline.
Mr Punaha said if operators failed to complete all its registrations, they have to deactivate all those numbers and failure to do so will cause the operator to pay a fine of K50, 000 for every SIM that is not deactivated.
He confirmed that Telikom PNG had all their new customers registered, but for a few of their old customers.
“In respect to Bmobile, they are using their own initiative to do awareness but we will be assisting in complementing that and going in intensive public awareness over the limited period of months.
“We have made a submission to the Minister for Communication, Sam Basil, highlighting all the issues that are being currently faced by the operators.
We will wait for considerations from that and we will be making a public announcement on when will be the set deadline.
“In the meantime, we will encourage all operators and the citizens to make an effort to register SIM.
It has taken 12 months already,” Mr Punaha said.
He is concerned and has called for an extensive public awareness through the media to try and encourage everybody to have their SIM cards registered.
But a time limit has now been placed on the operators to have all its subscribers registered before January 23, 2018.
Both Bmobile and Telikom were not able to give a confirmation on how many subscribers have registered so far when contacted by the Post-Courier.
According to the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA), both Bmobile and Telikom have not revealed the number of SIMs registered by them despites requests to do so by the regulator.
These two operators have only been providing percentages, which they claim to be around 60, 70 percent registered.
However, NICTA is hoping that once the next monthly reporting is due and they will try obtaining a figure from them.
NICTA chief executive officer, Charles Punaha re-iterated that it is compulsory everyone must have their SIM cards registered before the deadline.
Mr Punaha said if operators failed to complete all its registrations, they have to deactivate all those numbers and failure to do so will cause the operator to pay a fine of K50, 000 for every SIM that is not deactivated.
He confirmed that Telikom PNG had all their new customers registered, but for a few of their old customers.
“In respect to Bmobile, they are using their own initiative to do awareness but we will be assisting in complementing that and going in intensive public awareness over the limited period of months.
“We have made a submission to the Minister for Communication, Sam Basil, highlighting all the issues that are being currently faced by the operators.
We will wait for considerations from that and we will be making a public announcement on when will be the set deadline.
“In the meantime, we will encourage all operators and the citizens to make an effort to register SIM.
It has taken 12 months already,” Mr Punaha said.
He is concerned and has called for an extensive public awareness through the media to try and encourage everybody to have their SIM cards registered.
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