There is a part of your mobile phone - and no matter how advanced it is - that has not changed since the 90s. To be able to work in telephony networks you need a small card, known as SIM (Subscriber Identification Module).
The card has changed in physical size and capacity over the years but remains a difficult requirement to avoid. Some companies have experimented with programmable cards that can become SIM of different operators at different times (Provisioned SIM) but in general, things continue more or less as always. It is necessary to have a small hardware card so that the device can communicate with the telephone network.
It has tried to eliminate, of course, but without much success. For years, the GSMA - the organism that regulates mobile communication standards - works on eSIM, virtual SIM cards in the memory of devices that do not need a physical component.
For security reasons, this approach tends to be neglected. Somewhat more luck, on the other hand, have had with those known as eSIM, programmable SIM chips that are physically soldered to the device (sometimes they are known as virtual SIMs, although technically they are not). They are used in many machine-to-machine communication modules and some small consumer electronics products, such as smart watches.
The advantage of bringing these eSIM to phones is obvious. It would allow to free the space that the reader now occupies and, in turn, facilitate the jump between operators when traveling to a new country or if you want to change the telephony provider at home.
There is no great technical barrier that prevents them from implementing them, but there is a lot of reluctance on the part of telephone companies, which see them as a step in that inexorable evolution that is turning them into "silly pipes" for sending and receiving data.
Right now the SIM acts as a brake to jump from company to company. It is not that it is complex to change them, but it is more laborious than going to a menu on the screen and pressing an option. This is the reason why in 2017 we still have to introduce a physical card in a phone to work outside WiFi networks.
This week, however, ARM has taken a step that could finally change the current balance of powers and accelerate the death of SIM cards.
Your processor designs will soon begin to include a module, known as iSIM, that will be even smaller than current eSIMs (which typically measure about 5 x 6 mm.). At first they will be focused on processors for "smart" objects but in a few years, as these iSIM reach other devices, including phones and tablets, operators will receive increasing pressure from manufacturers to accept them as a valid solution. It will not make sense to integrate a card reader for a function that the phone's own processor will be able to perform and maybe, with a little luck, we can finally say goodbye to the cards.
A very insightful post. If things progress as ARM, a company that is now owned and financially backed by Softbank, envisions we should probably expect a shake out in the mobile communications industry as a whole and consolidation among the top tier carriers. Device manufacturer realize cost savings through a reduction in components and streamlined specifications and protocols. Consumers should be able to expect devices that are more capable and cost less. Overall cost reductions and increased competition should compel network operators to offer data plans that are far more consumer friendly. This technology is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for reading my post and your valuable comment , I appreciate that .
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Thank you for the interesting and educational post, dying to get rid of those pesky sims.
This is actually intresting. Some tech practices have been around for so long and have thier methods set in thier ways. Its always neat to see trendsetters come in and shake things up. The same goes for cable and how they are still using analog cables.
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