My SIM was deactivated — what do I do? (SIM Registration Act)
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Under RA 11934 (SIM Registration Act, 2022) and its IRR (NTC Memorandum Circular No. 001-12-2022), a SIM that is not registered is automatically deactivated after the registration deadline. To restore service you must complete registration with your provider (Globe, Smart, DITO, and others) through its official SIM-registration channel; contact the provider directly if the portal will not accept a deactivated number. Only registration — not a paid workaround — reactivates a SIM, and you should never register through a link sent by text, which is a common phishing scam. If a lost or stolen registered SIM needs deactivating, request it from your provider to protect the accounts linked to that number.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Why was my SIM deactivated?
The most common reason is failure to register it under RA 11934; unregistered SIMs are automatically deactivated after the NTC-set deadline. Deactivation can also follow prolonged inactivity or a reported loss.
How do I reactivate a deactivated SIM?
Register the SIM through your provider's official registration channel. If the number is already deactivated and the portal rejects it, contact the provider's customer service directly — reactivation requires completing the registration, not a paid shortcut.
I got a text with a 'SIM registration' link — is it real?
Treat unsolicited registration links in SMS as phishing. Register only through the provider's official website or app that you navigate to yourself, and never enter OTPs or personal data into a link someone sent you.
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Your rights on mobile, internet, electricity, and water — slow or undelivered broadband and rebates (NTC), billing disputes and overcharges, the notice required before disconnection and the days you cannot be cut off, prepaid load validity, SIM deactivation under the SIM Registration Act, electricity bill-deposit refunds and meter errors (the ERC Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers), and how to escalate past your provider to the NTC, ERC, or MWSS.