Softbank does a lot more besides funding companies. The Japanese telecom behemoth has announced that it is building a platform to power the next generation of IoT devices. The company is building for SIM cards that’ll be non-removable and will be used to propel and push connected devices.
SIM cards like batteries, are soon going to become non-removable. Work in the direction has been taking place for quite some while now and Softbank has announced that it is bulding a platform with the aim of letting non-removable SIM cards power devices.
Devices without a removeable SIM are nothing new, thanks to Samsung. The South Korean manufacturer introduced the Gear S2 Classic 3G smartwatch with non-removeable eSIM earlier. Softbank is looking to fan that moment even further. eSIM meanwhile, stands for embedded SIMs and are a reference to the non-removeable nature of these modules.
The main advantages associated with the eSIM are that one, it takes up a lot less space than a regular sim. By a lot less, we mean up to 90 percent. This extra space can be used for a variety of purposes, like including a bigger battery pack and smaller form factors. What is more, users can also connect multiple devices including the likes of cars, phones and watches — to a single eSIM and a single plan.
Speaking on the topic, Alex Sinclair, GSMA’s chief technology officer, had said last year:
This is the only common, interoperable, and global specification that has the backing of the mobile industry and lets consumers with a mobile subscription remotely connect their devices to a mobile network. This new specification gives consumers the freedom to remotely connect devices, such as wearables, to a mobile network of their choice and continues to evolve the process of connecting new and innovative devices.
Quite interestingly, users will also be able to have no trouble conectlng to all major players across the globe. So, regardless of where you are or what kind of operator you are on, the eSIM would allow you to connect to operators seamlessly and would also do away with the need of separate, dedicated eSIMs from different operators. This will have particular benefits for iOT devices.
So yeah, Softbank’s eSIM could well bring a paradigm shift to the niche. Hold on to your horses and watch out.
