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45-553: An iSIM ( integrated SIM ) is a form of SIM card technology where the SIM functionality is embedded directly into a device's main processor or System on a Chip (SoC). Unlike traditional SIM cards or embedded SIMs (eSIMs), which are separate physical components, the iSIM eliminates the need for a dedicated SIM hardware module altogether. By integrating the SIM within the device's hardware, iSIM offers enhanced security, reduced power consumption, and significant space savings. This technology

90-415: A European article number (EAN) required when registering online for the subscription of a prepaid card. As of 2020, eSIM is superseding physical SIM cards in some domains, including cellular telephony. eSIM uses a software-based SIM embedded into an irremovable eUICC . The SIM card is a type of smart card , the basis for which is the silicon integrated circuit (IC) chip. The idea of incorporating

135-446: A mobile network operator that does not require a SIM card to connect phone calls to a user's mobile phone. ETSI The European Telecommunications Standards Institute ( ETSI ) is an independent, not-for-profit, standardization organization operating in the field of information and communications . ETSI supports the development and testing of global technical standards for ICT-enabled systems, applications and services. ETSI

180-554: A SIM application and a USIM application. This configuration is necessary because older GSM only handsets are solely compatible with the SIM application and some UMTS security enhancements rely on the USIM application. On cdmaOne networks, the equivalent of the SIM card is the R-UIM and the equivalent of the SIM application is the CSIM . A virtual SIM is a mobile phone number provided by

225-564: A debate in early 2012 between a few designs created by Apple, Nokia and RIM , Apple's design for an even smaller SIM card was accepted by the ETSI. The nano-SIM (or 4FF) card was introduced in June 2012, when mobile service providers in various countries first supplied it for phones that supported the format. The nano-SIM measures 12.3 mm × 8.8 mm × 0.67 mm (0.484 in × 0.346 in × 0.026 in) and reduces

270-433: A market need from ETSI customers, but additionally there is a strong desire not to invalidate, overnight, the existing interface, nor reduce the performance of the cards. Micro-SIM cards were introduced by various mobile service providers for the launch of the original iPad, and later for smartphones, from April 2010. The iPhone 4 was the first smartphone to use a micro-SIM card in June 2010, followed by many others. After

315-515: A month (the last as of January 2019 was No. 1163 from 1 January 2019). ITU-T also publishes complete lists: as of August 2023, the list issued on 1 December 2018 was current, having all issuer identifier numbers before 1 December 2018. SIM cards are identified on their individual operator networks by a unique international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI). Mobile network operators connect mobile phone calls and communicate with their market SIM cards using their IMSIs. The format is: The K i

360-486: A phone containing this SIM card can connect to a maximum of only 33 or 80 networks, instead it means that the SIM card issuer can specify only up to that number of preferred networks. If a SIM is outside these preferred networks, it uses the first or best available network. Each SIM is internationally identified by its integrated circuit card identifier ( ICCID ). Nowadays ICCID numbers are also used to identify eSIM profiles, not only physical SIM cards. ICCIDs are stored in

405-424: A signed response (SRES_1/SRES_2: see steps 3 and 4, below) from the K i has certain vulnerabilities that can allow the extraction of the K i from a SIM card and the making of a duplicate SIM card . Authentication process: The SIM stores network state information, which is received from the location area identity (LAI). Operator networks are divided into location areas, each having a unique LAI number. When

450-452: A silicon IC chip onto a plastic card originates from the late 1960s. Smart cards have since used MOS integrated circuit chips, along with MOS memory technologies such as flash memory and EEPROM (electrically EPROM ). The SIM was initially specified by the ETSI in the specification TS 11.11. This describes the physical and logical behaviour of the SIM. With the development of UMTS ,

495-655: A wide range of connected devices. In February 2021, Vodafone , Qualcomm , and Thales announced the world's first demonstration of a working iSIM in a smartphone, integrating SIM functionality into the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform. In February 2023, Qualcomm and Thales launched the world's first GSMA-compliant iSIM on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. This iSIM achieved GSMA security certification, ensuring high standards of cybersecurity and support for remote provisioning. iSIM technology

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540-475: Is a 128-bit value used in authenticating the SIMs on a GSM mobile network (for USIM network, the K i is still needed but other parameters are also needed). Each SIM holds a unique K i assigned to it by the operator during the personalisation process. The K i is also stored in a database (termed authentication center or AuC) on the carrier's network. The SIM card is designed to prevent someone from getting

585-419: Is an identical ETSI specification with different numbering.) ETSI and 3GPP maintain the SIM specifications. The main specifications are: ETSI TS 102 223 (the toolkit for smart cards), ETSI TS 102 241 ( API ), ETSI TS 102 588 (application invocation), and ETSI TS 131 111 (toolkit for more SIM-likes). SIM toolkit applications were initially written in native code using proprietary APIs. To provide interoperability of

630-470: Is diverse and includes all the key stakeholders of the ICT sector: private companies, research entities, academia, government and public bodies as well as societal stakeholders. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro-Enterprises (MEs) represent more than a quarter of ETSI's total membership. The list of current members can be found on the ETSI website. Membership contributions are calculated depending on

675-483: Is independent of format. Full-size SIM was followed by mini-SIM, micro-SIM, and nano-SIM. SIM cards are also made to embed in devices. JEDEC Design Guide 4.8, SON-8 GSMA SGP.22 V1.0 All versions of the non-embedded SIM cards share the same ISO/IEC 7816 pin arrangement. The full-size SIM (or 1FF, 1st form factor) was the first form factor to appear. It was the size of a credit card (85.60 mm × 53.98 mm × 0.76 mm). The mini-SIM (or 2FF) card has

720-576: Is obsolete, some suppliers refer to the mini-SIM as a "standard SIM" or "regular SIM". The micro-SIM (or 3FF) card has the same thickness and contact arrangements, but reduced length and width as shown in the table above. The micro-SIM was introduced by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) along with SCP, 3GPP (UTRAN/GERAN), 3GPP2 (CDMA2000), ARIB , GSM Association (GSMA SCaG and GSMNA), GlobalPlatform, Liberty Alliance , and

765-587: Is particularly beneficial for small devices and the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling more compact designs and improved efficiency. In February 2018, Arm introduced the concept of iSIM technology, aiming to integrate SIM functionality into the processor of IoT devices to save space and reduce costs. The integrated SIM was designed to be compliant with the GSMA Embedded SIM Specifications and intended to facilitate secure identity in

810-503: Is particularly suited for: SIM card SIMs are always used on GSM phones; for CDMA phones, they are needed only for LTE -capable handsets. SIM cards are also used in various satellite phones , smart watches, computers, or cameras. The first SIM cards were the size of credit and bank cards ; sizes were reduced several times over the years, usually keeping electrical contacts the same, to fit smaller-sized devices. SIMs are transferable between different mobile devices by removing

855-431: The 64 KB version has room for 80 MNCs. This is used by network operators to store data on preferred networks, mostly used when the SIM is not in its home network but is roaming . The network operator that issued the SIM card can use this to have a phone connect to a preferred network that is more economic for the provider instead of having to pay the network operator that the phone discovered first. This does not mean that

900-528: The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) for the purpose of fitting into devices too small for a mini-SIM card. The form factor was mentioned in the December 1998 3GPP SMG9 UMTS Working Party, which is the standards-setting body for GSM SIM cards, and the form factor was agreed upon in late 2003. The micro-SIM was designed for backward compatibility. The major issue for backward compatibility was

945-526: The 0.76 mm (0.030 in) of its predecessors. The iPhone 5 , released in September 2012, was the first device to use a nano-SIM card, followed by other handsets. In July 2013, Karsten Nohl, a security researcher from SRLabs, described vulnerabilities in some SIM cards that supported DES , which, despite its age, is still used by some operators. The attack could lead to the phone being remotely cloned or let someone steal payment credentials from

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990-508: The ICCID length as an opaque data field, 10 octets (20 digits) in length, whose structure is specific to a mobile network operator . The number is composed of three subparts: Their format is as follows. Issuer identification number (IIN) Individual account identification Check digit With the GSM Phase 1 specification using 10 octets into which ICCID is stored as packed BCD ,

1035-452: The K i by using the smart-card interface . Instead, the SIM card provides a function, Run GSM Algorithm , that the phone uses to pass data to the SIM card to be signed with the K i . This, by design, makes using the SIM card mandatory unless the K i can be extracted from the SIM card, or the carrier is willing to reveal the K i . In practice, the GSM cryptographic algorithm for computing

1080-583: The S@T Browser library were being actively exploited. This vulnerability was named Simjacker . Attackers were using the vulnerability to track the location of thousands of mobile phone users in several countries. Further details of the research were provided at VirusBulletin on 3 October 2019. When GSM was already in use, the specifications were further developed and enhanced with functionality such as SMS and GPRS . These development steps are referred as releases by ETSI. Within these development cycles,

1125-421: The SIM card. When a user tries to copy such entries to a SIM, the handset's software breaks them into multiple entries, discarding information that is not a phone number. The number of contacts and messages stored depends on the SIM; early models stored as few as five messages and 20 contacts, while modern SIM cards can usually store over 250 contacts. SIM cards have been made smaller over the years; functionality

1170-506: The SIM cards and are also engraved or printed on the SIM card body during a process called personalisation. The ICCID is defined by the ITU-T recommendation E.118 as the primary account number . Its layout is based on ISO/IEC 7812 . According to E.118, the number can be up to 19 digits long, including a single check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm . However, the GSM Phase 1 defined

1215-656: The SIM specification was enhanced as well: new voltage classes, formats and files were introduced. In GSM-only times, the SIM consisted of the hardware and the software. With the advent of UMTS, this naming was split: the SIM was now an application and hence only software. The hardware part was called UICC. This split was necessary because UMTS introduced a new application, the universal subscriber identity module (USIM). The USIM brought, among other things, security improvements like mutual authentication and longer encryption keys, and an improved address book. "SIM cards" in developed countries today are usually UICCs containing at least

1260-677: The SIM. Further details of the research were provided at BlackHat on 31 July 2013. In response, the International Telecommunication Union said that the development was "hugely significant" and that it would be contacting its members. In February 2015, The Intercept reported that the NSA and GCHQ had stolen the encryption keys (Ki's) used by Gemalto (now known as Thales DIS , manufacturer of 2 billion SIM cards annually) ), enabling these intelligence agencies to monitor voice and data communications without

1305-484: The SMSC ( Short Message service center ) number, service provider name (SPN), service dialing numbers (SDN), advice-of-charge parameters and value-added service (VAS) applications. (Refer to GSM 11.11. ) SIM cards can come in various data capacities, from 8 KB to at least 256 KB . All can store a maximum of 250 contacts on the SIM, but while the 32 KB has room for 33 Mobile country code (MCCs) or network identifiers ,

1350-545: The applications, ETSI chose Java Card . A multi-company collaboration called GlobalPlatform defines some extensions on the cards, with additional APIs and features like more cryptographic security and RFID contactless use added. SIM cards store network-specific information used to authenticate and identify subscribers on the network. The most important of these are the ICCID, IMSI, authentication key (K i ) , local area identity (LAI) and operator-specific emergency number. The SIM also stores other carrier-specific data such as

1395-614: The card itself. Technically the actual physical card is known as a universal integrated circuit card (UICC); this smart card is usually made of PVC with embedded contacts and semiconductors , with the SIM as its primary component. In practice the term "SIM card" is still used to refer to the entire unit and not simply the IC. A SIM contains a unique serial number, integrated circuit card identification (ICCID), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to

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1440-496: The contact area of the chip. Retaining the same contact area makes the micro-SIM compatible with the prior, larger SIM readers through the use of plastic cutout surrounds. The SIM was also designed to run at the same speed (5 MHz) as the prior version. The same size and positions of pins resulted in numerous "How-to" tutorials and YouTube videos with detailed instructions how to cut a mini-SIM card to micro-SIM size. The chairman of EP SCP, Klaus Vedder, said ETSI has responded to

1485-454: The data field has room for 20 digits with hexadecimal digit "F" being used as filler when necessary. In practice, this means that on GSM cards there are 20-digit (19+1) and 19-digit (18+1) ICCIDs in use, depending upon the issuer. However, a single issuer always uses the same size for its ICCIDs. As required by E.118, the ITU-T updates a list of all current internationally assigned IIN codes in its Operational Bulletins which are published twice

1530-447: The device changes locations, it stores the new LAI to the SIM and sends it back to the operator network with its new location. If the device is power cycled, it takes data off the SIM, and searches for the prior LAI. Most SIM cards store a number of SMS messages and phone book contacts. It stores the contacts in simple "name and number" pairs. Entries that contain multiple phone numbers and additional phone numbers are usually not stored on

1575-548: The different ETSI technical groups (Technical Committee (TC), ETSI Project (EP), ETSI Partnership Project (EPP), Industry Specification Group (ISG), and Special Committee (SC). ETSI's Cloud Group aims to consider standardisation within cloud computing and conformity with interoperability standards in this field. In October 2023, ETSI reported a data breach. Hackers stole a database containing information on ETSI’s online users. ETSI has more than 900 member organizations worldwide from 65 countries and five continents. Its community

1620-537: The knowledge or approval of cellular network providers or judicial oversight. Having finished its investigation, Gemalto claimed that it has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the NSA and GCHQ carried out an operation to hack its network in 2010 and 2011, but says the number of possibly stolen keys would not have been massive. In September 2019, Cathal Mc Daid, a security researcher from Adaptive Mobile Security, described how vulnerabilities in some SIM cards that contained

1665-459: The local network, a list of the services the user has access to, and four passwords: a personal identification number (PIN) for ordinary use, and a personal unblocking key (PUK) for PIN unlocking as well as a second pair (called PIN2 and PUK2 respectively) which are used for managing fixed dialing number and some other functionality. In Europe, the serial SIM number (SSN) is also sometimes accompanied by an international article number (IAN) or

1710-463: The majority of SIM cards launched before 1998 was 5 V . SIM cards produced subsequently are compatible with 3 V and 5 V . Modern cards support 5 V , 3 V and 1.8 V . Modern SIM cards allow applications to load when the SIM is in use by the subscriber. These applications communicate with the handset or a server using SIM Application Toolkit , which was initially specified by 3GPP in TS 11.14. (There

1755-703: The others being CEN and CENELEC . The role of the ESOs is to support EU regulation and policies through the production of harmonised European Standards (ENs) and other deliverables. The standards developed by ESOs are the only ones that can be recognized as ENs. ETSI develops standards in key global technologies such as: GSM , TETRA , 3G , 4G , 5G , DECT . ETSI’s standardization activities are organized around sectors: Home & Office, Better Living with ICT, Content Delivery, Networks, Wireless Systems , Transportation, Connecting Things, Interoperability, Public Safety and Security. Technical activities are carried out in

1800-437: The previous format to the contact area while maintaining the existing contact arrangements. A small rim of isolating material is left around the contact area to avoid short circuits with the socket. The nano-SIM can be put into adapters for use with devices designed for 2FF or 3FF SIMs, and is made thinner for that purpose, and telephone companies give due warning about this. 4FF is 0.67 mm (0.026 in) thick, compared to

1845-453: The same contact arrangement as the full-size SIM card and is normally supplied within a full-size card carrier, attached by a number of linking pieces. This arrangement (defined in ISO/IEC 7810 as ID-1/000 ) lets such a card be used in a device that requires a full-size card – or in a device that requires a mini-SIM card, after breaking the linking pieces. As the full-size SIM

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1890-493: The specification work was partially transferred to 3GPP . 3GPP is now responsible for the further development of applications like SIM (TS 51.011 ) and USIM (TS 31.102 ) and ETSI for the further development of the physical card UICC . The first SIM card was manufactured in 1991 by Munich smart-card maker Giesecke+Devrient , who sold the first 300 SIM cards to the Finnish wireless network operator Radiolinja , who launched

1935-550: The world's first commercial 2G GSM cell network that year. Today, SIM cards are considered ubiquitous, allowing over 8 billion devices to connect to cellular networks around the world daily. According to the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA), there were 5.4 billion SIM cards manufactured globally in 2016 creating over $ 6.5 billion in revenue for traditional SIM card vendors. The rise of cellular IoT and 5G networks

1980-611: Was predicted by Ericsson to drive the growth of the addressable market for SIM cards to over 20 billion devices by 2020. The introduction of embedded-SIM (eSIM) and remote SIM provisioning (RSP) from the GSMA may disrupt the traditional SIM card ecosystem with the entrance of new players specializing in "digital" SIM card provisioning and other value-added services for mobile network operators. There are three operating voltages for SIM cards: 5 V , 3 V and 1.8 V ( ISO/IEC 7816 -3 classes A, B and C, respectively). The operating voltage of

2025-628: Was set up in 1988 by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations ( CEPT ) following a proposal from the European Commission (EC). ETSI is the officially recognized body with a responsibility for the standardization of information and communication technologies (ICT). It is one of the three bodies officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organisation (ESO),

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