Gemalto announces the industry-first 5G SIM in order to meet operator requirements for the new generation of network deployments which will emerge in 2019. Compliant with the latest ETSI 3GPP specifications and SIMalliance recommendations, the 5G SIM is defined by them as the only solution capable of securing 5G network access.

The Gemalto 5G SIM brings not only improved data privacy and seamless 5G global roaming imposed by the latest standards but is also the first to add enhanced protection against hacking to anticipate future requirements.

By 2024, 5G network coverage is expected to reach 40% of the global population, and will account for 1.5 billion subscriptions. Leveraging the benefits of 5G, key use cases of the new SIM are set to include enhanced mobile broadband, massive IoT applications, and critical communication infrastructures.

The Gemalto 5G SIM will be available in all SIM form factors (removable SIM, M2M SIM, eSIM), during the first half of 2019. Key benefits of the new 5G SIM include full anonymization of end-to-end subscriber identities thanks to onboard identity encryption; it eliminates the potential to misuse such information to locate and trace individuals, or collect personal data, and ensures mobile operators comply with regulations such as GDPR. In addition, trusted environment resilience will help operators secure the entire SIM lifecycle, eliminating exposure to hacking attacks and accidental breaches. A seamless 5G roaming experience is also supported, maximizing revenues and enhancing the customer experience.

Gemalto has been working closely with key 5G industry stakeholders around the world in the development of 5G SIM, through standardization, prototyping and testing.

“The 5G SIM provides the foundation of trust in this next generation mobile network for operators and other stakeholders in the eco-system” said Emmanuel Unguran, EVP Mobile Services & IoT Business Unit, for Gemalto. “It will help operators unleash the full 5G potential, maximize their network investments, and simplify new service deployment with full backward compatibility to previous 3G/4G technology.” 

“Qualcomm Technologies has a longstanding relationship with Gemalto focused on delivering mobile solutions with robust security,” said Gautam Sheoran, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are now extending this collaboration to allow OEMs to easily develop exciting 5G devices with strong security, using both Gemalto 5G SIM and our next generation flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855 Mobile Platform to pave the path for 5G commercialization in 2019.”