SIMless Connections
There was a rumor recently about Apple trying to force a concept of a software SIM card in the new iPhone design. This concept was reportedly rejected by the GSMA, the organization representing carriers, or mobile network operators (MNOs) worldwide. SIM card is considered the central asset of every MNO. Technically it contains some cryptographic information that allows a GSM phone to identify itself and register on the network. No SIM equals no access. And of course SIM determines the associated account, whether it is prepaid or postpaid and how much credit it has and what services it can use and so on. But after 20 or more years the SIM becomes more and more obsolete. Take a look at just about any Web service you pay for. Like Skype for example. The email address and password usually determine the associated account. How much credit it has and what services it can use and so on. Like SIM, but nothing physical. SIM cards used to be associated with phone numbers. But the phone numbers ...