Technology development group ETSI, which is a European Standards Organization (ESO), has this week released a new eSIM related specification that will enable multiple accounts and identities to exist inside the same Smartphone (mobile) handset without needing any physical SIMs to be within the device. esim multiple

The mobile telecom industry has been facing an increasing demand for applications running on mobile devices like banking, payments, transport and identity for some time. These new specifications address this demand by adding the possibility to host and address several virtual ‘secure elements’ into the same hardware component. This allows multiple virtual secure elements to coexist logically separated, whilst having the ability to be addressed independently through the same physical interface.

Chair of the SET group at ETSI, Denis Praca says, “we’re so excited to release new versions of several UICC Release 17 specifications that can benefit so many users. This is a breakthrough for end-users who will easily be able to use multiple services and for service providers to deploy their applications on a single mobile device, with the benefit of the long term recognized security provided by the UICC”.

This should also remove the need for smartphones to contain more than one physical SIM to host two different accounts on the same device. ETSI’s technologies, referenced by GSMA e-SIM specifications,  have eradicated the need to have a physical SIM, allowing users and device makers to efficiently manage multiple accounts securely.

ETSI’s Secure Element Technologies committee (TC SET, formerly known as TC SCP) develops and maintains specifications for the Secure Element (SE), e.g., the UICC or the SSP and its interfaces with the outside world for use in telecommunication systems including the Internet of Things (IoT) and other industry sectors.

“The next stage for us at ETSI, is to get mobile network operators and secure application providers to come forward and work with us to creates the applications that will run on the ETSI developed platform”, Mr Praca continued. Anyone wanting to find out more or to become involved with the next stage of development is encouraged to visit the ETSI TC SET webpage.

Number of MNOs offering eSIM services for smartphones is rising rapidly esim multiple

Just to recap. The GSMA’s eSIM standard is an alternative to physical SIM cards, which essentially embeds an electronic SIM into your device (smartphone) and that could – once fully implemented – make it easier and quicker to switch between networks, among other things.

As of December 2021, more than 230 mobile network operators (MNOs) offered commercial eSIM services for smartphones – an over fivefold increase in three years since December 2018. While the commercialization of eSIM technology is still in its beginning stages, many companies see this technology as an important part of their increasingly digitalized future. esim multiple

However, it will take time to integrate all this into the core mobile standards, which will then be followed by the need to integrate that into Smartphone hardware and mobile networks.

About ETSI esim multiple

ETSI provides members with an open and inclusive environment to support the development, ratification, and testing of globally applicable standards for ICT systems and services across all sectors of industry and society. We are a non-profit body, with more than 900 member organizations worldwide, drawn from over 60 countries and five continents. The members comprise a diversified pool of large and small private companies, research entities, academia, government, and public organizations. ETSI is officially recognized by the EU as a European Standardization Organization (ESO).