The GSM Associaiton (GSMA) announced the formation of a task force of mobile operators to explore the development of an embedded SIM that can be remotely activated.
The proposed embedded SIM solution will include programmable SIM card capabilities to enable remote activation. The resulting technical solution will be built on the principles of openness and standardisation.
The embedded SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) will also speed the development of M2M services by making it easier to bring mobile broadband to non-traditional devices such as cameras, MP3 players, navigation devices and e-Readers, as well as smart meters.
As the mobile industry moves from connecting phones to connecting a wide range of devices, the embedded SIM could deliver even greater flexibility. The embedded SIM will provide assured levels of security and portability for consumers, as well as provide additional functionality for enabling new services such as e-Wallet and Near Field Communication (NFC) applications
The task force will analyse market requirements and deliver a technical solution as an evolution of the current SIM provisioning mechanisms.
The task force is expected to complete the analysis of market requirements by January 2011. Devices featuring the new SIM activation capability are expected to appear in 2012. Traditional SIM-supported devices will continue to work on existing networks.
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