Apple and Samsung have been reported to be in talks with service providers to adopt electronic SIM (e-SIM) technology
Apple and Samsung are reportedly in ‘advanced’ talks with telecom service providers to adopt electronic SIM (e-SIM) technology, according to a report by Financial Times. Talks have been said to be at an advanced stage with network providers like AT&T, Orange and Vodafone, and if this move does materialise, it will change the way consumers subscribe to telecom operators. The present universal standard is the physical SIM, a piece of plastic that is programmed to be locked to a specific network provider.
The present physical SIMs provided are required to physically changed to switch between networks. The GSMA, the authority representing all network providers worldwide, has announced that it is close to adopting a deal that would provide a standardised, universal embedded SIM across phones, and that deal includes Apple and Samsung. While details are yet to be revealed, GSMA claims that the e-SIM technology will lead to a “common architecture” that ensures support across numerous participating phone manufacturers and network providers.
The technology, however, is some time away from being adopted widely, and phones with e-SIM technology is not expected to reach the market until 2016. GSMA’s statement, published in Financial Times, states, “With the majority of operators on board, the plan is to finalise the technical architecture that will be used in the development of an end-to-end remote SIM solution for consumer devices, with delivery anticipated by 2016.”
There have, however, been no official statement or comment from Apple or Samsung.
Source: Financial Times
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