This is what the DICT Secretary Henry Aguda had said in a press conference held in Makati last September 19, 2025, citing that the use of IMSI Catcher was to send fraudulent SMS messages that scammers and hackers made to fool it’s mobile network subscribers on these illegal activities.
While DITO Telecommunity only had 4G (LTE) and 5G (NR) Networks since it’s launch in 2021 and never started operating on the 2G and 3G Networks, and even Smart will end it’s 3G Network by September 30, 2025, they, along with Globe Telecom have agreed to collaborate with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the DICT to phase 2G (GSM/EDGE) mobile connectivity out in the future.
Subscribers of Smart and Globe who are connected to either 2G (Smart/Globe) or 3G (Smart) network are urged to upgrade their SIM Card as soon as possible, because some SIM cards may not be compatible with a 4G/5G phone. Or if they still have a 2G/3G only phone, they still need to upgrade to a 4G/5G-capable device in order to continue to enjoy their services.
Smart do also offer a *3888 free phone number to help non-4G/5G SIM Card users upgrade their SIMs, and they can also call that number to order a SIM Upgrade kit, at no extra charge. If they received that upgrade kit, they have to insert the SIM to a 4G/5G-compatible device, then dial *123#, press 2 to initiate the upgrade, and enter their Smart number from the non-4G/5G SIM. They must restart their device after doing this process to take effect.
PHCA CID: PHCA-2025H2-5026​​​​​
