How many mobile phone cards have been registered?

Starting October 2017, the government mandated that users of prepaid mobile phone cards re-register using their National Identity Number (NIK) and Family Card Number. Failure to re-register would result in sanctions, including a phased blocking of incoming calls, text messages, outgoing calls, and data services.

According to data from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the number of registered mobile phone cards from early October to December 2017 reached 131.40 million units. This only covers approximately 33.45% of the total number of mobile phone cards in circulation. The re-registration process continued until February 28, 2018.

Based on data from six operators, the number of mobile phone cards in circulation in Indonesia reached 392.78 million units, while Indonesia's population is only 262 million. This means the ratio of mobile phone cards in circulation to the population is almost 150 percent, or each person uses more than one mobile phone card.

(Read Databoks: Indonesia's Mobile Phone Subscribers Exceed the Population)