Apple and Samsung are planning on to sign off on telecoms industry plans to use electronic SIM cards to make network switching easier than ever.
According to The Financial Times, the world’s two largest phone makers are in advanced talks with the GSM Association to embed a standardised e-SIM card within new handsets.
The embedded electronic SIM card technology, expected to roll out in 2016 would ditch plastic SIMs completely and change the way users sign up for mobile networks.
Under the new plans, the standardised technology would mean users would no longer have to lock themselves in to service with a single provider and could switch between carriers whenever they pleased.
AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Hutchison Whampoa, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone are among the mobile networks planning to support the plans.
A spokesperson for the GSMA wrote: “With the majority of operators on board, the plan is to finalise the technical architecture that will be used in the development of an end-to-end remote SIM solution for consumer devices, with delivery anticipated by 2016.”
The organisation’s CEO Anne Bouverot added: “
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The tech is likely to be similar to the Apple SIM tech launched by the company for its iPads last year.
The idea was to make it easier for travellers to access local data networks while moving between different countries, but network adoption was limited.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.