Mobile phones have undergone significant changes in size and functionality since the beginning. After the initial miniaturization, with the advent of the Internet, greater display and battery capacity as well as increasing performance became the goal of the improvements. The function and size of the SIM card responsible for accessing the mobile network have hardly changed. The physical size of the SIM card now takes up a disproportionate amount of space in the housings, while manufacturers are trying to fill every area with more useful parts for maximum performance. It is therefore advantageous if the functions of the physical SIM card are provided by a chip integrated in the device, the functions of which go beyond the capabilities of a classic SIM card. This is eSIM (embedded).

In essence, eSIM is a software solution that allows smart devices to connect to a mobile network and go beyond classic SIM cards: eSIM features can be activated remotely and can handle up to 10 subscriptions at a time. To activate eSIM, only an internet connection is required on the device, so the subscriber can activate it from the QR code issued by Telenor in printed form: after the purchase of the digital product, the commissioning can be done immediately.

Being a virtual device, even in the event of a device theft, it cannot be removed from the devices, so the geographical location of the stolen or lost devices can be determined relatively accurately. Another advantage of eSIM is that it can provide direct mobile Internet access to many devices that do not have a SIM slot – smartphones and accessories that are capable of most mobile network connections. And for eSIM to turn a dagger in the reputation of its physical partner: the inconvenience of the most common problem with physical cards, the movement and damage of cards, can also be avoided by using eSIM.

With regard to eSIM, the environmental aspects are also emphasized: the expected spread and widespread use of the solution will greatly reduce the use of plastics in the long run, and no electronic waste will be generated afterwards. Telenor has already taken steps towards environmentally friendly SIM solutions: in June of this year, it introduced a half-size physical SIM card, which virtually halved the amount of plastic used in the production and packaging of the carrier card. Smaller SIMs have better manufacturing, shipping, warehousing and recycling parameters than their larger predecessors, but eSIM is the best solution in the long run.

The eSIM service will be available to Telenor’s new and existing medium and large enterprise customers as early as December 8, 2021, even without the purchase of new handsets, while the service provider will open it to retail and small business customers in the first half of next year. telenor hungary esim