240,000 SIM cards to be used to transmit 2025 election results

Commission on Elections officials pose for a picture during a site inspection and walkthrough at the Dito Telecommunity office in Taguig City on Thursday, October 17, 2024 —Photo by Dianne Sampang | INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Two hundred forty-six thousand (240,000) SIM cards will be used to transmit voting results in the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said on Thursday.

Garcia said that iOne, the provider of the Secure Electronic Transmission Services for the 2025 elections, tapped three big telecommunications companies to provide the sim cards that will be used to transmit voting results.

“All of that is for the whole Philippines. That’s why half of that — 120,000 — will come from Smart and the remainder will be shared by Globe and Dito,” Garcia said in Filipino on the sidelines of a site inspection and walkthrough at the Dito office in Taguig City.

According to Garcia iOne picked areas where the signal was “four bars strong.”

The poll body chief explained there would be primary and backup SIM cards in the 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) to be used in the upcoming elections.

“There should be primary and secondary or backup SIM cards. So, more or less, the municipal board of canvassers, city board of canvassers, and provincial board of canvassers are included,” Garcia said.

Comelec will also use satellite internet provider Starlink in areas that have no signal or reception.

He also said that iOne would fulfill its commitment to complete the delivery of 7,000 Starlinks before the end of the year.

Garcia said the selection of SIM cards in the automated counting machines was determined by the strength of the connectivity or signal of one telecommunications company in an area.

In areas where a fluctuation of signal is anticipated, a Starlink access will be provided, he added.