The conventional SIM card has been integral for device connectivity for almost three decades.

The arrival of eSIMs will remove space constraints greatly benefiting IoT devices and wearables.

Although eSIMs can be seen as a threat to telcos – as they enable a more efficient churn process – we believe the benefits of eSIMs outweigh the risks.

The conventional SIM card has been in use since 1991, enabling connectivity to billions of mobile devices around the world. Over the years it has seen a reduction in its size even as its main purpose remains the same – essentially providing an ID to the device for the network to keep track of during connectivity. However, as devices become more powerful and feature packed, internal space has become a major constraint. New device types such as wearables also have a different set of requirements from mobile devices, namely they must be small and lightweight.

Contents

Key takeaways

SIM cards getting the embedded treatment

• The eSIMs market
• Current devices with eSIM support
• Telstra offering eSIM support for Windows 10 support

Consumers and device manufactures are the winners

• Power to the consumers
• More options for device manufacturers

Double edged sword for telcos

• Threats
• Opportunities
• Impacts and changes for business models

eSIMs – the future of connected mobile devices

List of charts/tables

Figure 1. Conventional SIM activation

Figure 2. eSIM activation

Figure 3. Switching between providers using eSIMs

Figure 4. Industry stakeholders that support eSIMs