Service providers in many different sectors will be able to sign up to QuarkSe to offer eSIM telecoms through their own branded apps, delivering low cost, consistent access to their services, as well as local rate telecoms and data for their travelling customers.

Mobile operator partnerships: QuarkSe has secured GDS partnership agreements with operators across 3 continents including China Telecom, Altice Portugal (formerly Portugal Telecom) and Brazil’s Algar Telecom, which between them already have more than 700 million subscribers. The company is adding many other mobile operators globally to the GDS throughout 2020.
225 million further eSIM compatible handsets are expected to be shipped in 2020. Major smartphone manufacturers are already selling eSIM compatible devices, such as the iPhone XR, XS, XM and iPhone 11as well as the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Google Pixel 3 and 4 whilst Motorola’s new RAZR is the first eSIM-only handset. The eSIM handset market is expected to grow to 500 million handsets in 2022 (ABI Research March 2020). This eSIM evolution means millions of travellers could benefit from being able to access high-quality services via the QuarkSe GDS and their service provider once the travel market rebounds.

Service provider partnership: QuarkSe has signed up innovative m-health service provider Doctor Online, who is using the eSIM GDS to offer its customers continuity of service as well as phone and data connectivity at local rates, when travelling or living abroad. This means that their patients can make video calls with their familiar home doctors if they experience health issues away from home. The eSIM access will also allow customers to use their device for general telecoms and data services whilst using their app, enabling Doctor Online to become a telecoms service provider.

Alex Poulias, co-founder of Doctor Online, said: “When our customers travel or live abroad and they need medical advice there is a considerable amount of anxiety and cost involved in finding a local doctor with the right expertise and language skills. They significantly prefer to speak with their home country doctors. Doctor Online offers the service but often connectivity is an obstacle. To offer such a valuable service reliably, it is crucial that our patients can rely on high-quality data connectivity so as to have an effective, uninterrupted video call with their home doctor.

“QuarkSe’s GDS enables us to offer best-available levels of connectivity at the lowest cost, representing a real win for our patients who would otherwise have to choose between sometimes confusing local language advice and expensive connection options if they want to contact us. At a time where the world is experiencing unprecedented fear of infection as well as demands on medical services with COVID-19, the connectivity provided by QuarkSe can efficiently help international patients get both the information and the care they need and deserve.”

Luiz C. G. Silva, QuarkSe CEO, added: “eSIMs have the potential to end roaming charges and data throttling for consumers. Our ‘always best-connected’ GDS service will give consumers fairer choice and better connectivity than they have ever had before. An eSIM is also superior to a physical plastic SIM as it has no environmental or financial cost in production or distribution, has no limitation in the size of device it can support and can be endlessly configured to multiple networks. This makes eSIM the ideal solution for travel service providers, international travellers, and for Internet of Things vendors who distribute wearables or any form of equipment that needs data connectivity and remote management.”