The Government announced today (May 27) that service counters will be set up at 18 designated post offices starting next Monday (May 30) to assist individual users of pre-paid Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards who are in need of help to complete real-name registration in accordance with the Telecommunications (Registration of SIM Cards) Regulation. Users can also complete registration via retail shops, mobile applications or websites of the respective telecommunications operators.
 
     According to the Regulation, all existing pre-paid SIM (PPS) card users are required to complete real-name registration on or before February 23, 2023. Otherwise the relevant PPS cards will be deactivated. Real-name registration is easy, convenient and fast. The Government appeals to all existing PPS card users to complete real-name registration for their PPS cards as soon as possible and not wait until the last moment before the deadline.
 
     As a further support measure for individual PPS card users in need, the Government will set up service counters at 18 designated post offices (see Annex) starting next Monday to assist members of the public to complete real-name registration of their PPS cards. The service is free of charge. Members of the public requiring assistance should visit the designated post offices in person and bring along their Hong Kong identity cards, PPS cards to be registered and mobile phones capable of receiving SMS notifications. A user who is aged below 16 years old has to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or above for completing the registration. The personal information of that adult will need to be registered at the same time. The designated post offices may, where necessary, introduce a daily quota for crowd control management so as to reduce social contact and prevent crowds from gathering.
 
     As SIM service plan (SSP) users have already registered their personal particulars with their telecommunications operators, re-registration is not required unless they would like to switch to another telecommunications operator or subscribe to a new phone number.
 
     Individual telecommunications operators will also send SMS notifications to PPS card users to remind them to complete real-name registration as soon as possible.
 
     According to the Regulation, SIM cards, including SSP services and PPS cards issued from March 1, are required to have real-name registration completed before activation. Existing PPS card users are required to complete real-name registration on or before February 23, 2023, or those PPS cards will be deactivated after the aforementioned deadline. The Real-name Registration Programme for SIM Cards is applicable to all SIM cards issued by telecommunications operators in Hong Kong to be used for local person-to-person communications (including SIM cards for voice, data and/or SMS services).
 
     For details of the Real-name Registration Programme, please visit the website of the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) (www.ofca.gov.hk/simreg) or call OFCA's hotline (2961 6699).

Ends/Friday, May 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 12:00

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