The future of the SIM: potential market and technology implications for the mobile ecosystem

This insight is locked

This insight is open to all subscribers and registered users, or available by completing the form below.

Report details

The future of the SIM: potential market and technology implications for the mobile ecosystem
Pages
32
Released
FEBRUARY 2017

Remote provisioning technology and embedded form factors represent a major development in the history of the SIM. This report looks at the implications from a market perspective. For consumers, SIM developments are likely to be unambiguously positive; for businesses, the implications are more nuanced, bringing both opportunities and challenges.

We also examine the technology developments driving possible alternative SIM solutions and provide a qualitative assessment of emerging use cases for the SIM.

To inform the report, we conducted primary research to gather strategic insights and views on the future of the SIM from companies across the broader mobile ecosystem – telecoms operators and non-operators, including SIM vendors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and companies from a number of industries.

Download the Report

Complete the form below to get instant access to this report. For easier access in the future, you can register for a free account here.

Opt-in for Marketing Communications:
To ensure you stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the mobile industry, GSMA Intelligence would like to send you information about events, products, services, and initiatives, as well as industry news. Please subscribe by ticking this box; once subscribed, you can tailor what you receive from us at any time, or unsubscribe, should you wish.

Authors

How to access this report

Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.

Enquire about subscription

Contact our research team

Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.

Contact our research team

Media

To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.

Learn more

Related research

IoT in a post-quantum world: coming sooner than you think

Topics
Security
Internet of things (IoT)

The benefits of quantum computing come from the order-of-magnitude increase in computational power compared to conventional computers. This enables a range of use cases from predictive analytics to pharmaceutical simulations. However, there are also risks, primarily related to security vulnerabilities. Overall, we estimate around 8% of IoT devices currently in active use are quantum safe. Conversely, over 90% (i.e. nearly all) of IoT devices are exposed. The exposure risk for telcos comes at multiple levels, including networks, billing systems, consumer devices and IoT. The focus in this report is on the IoT dimension because it represents the largest universe of devices, is highly disparate and is particularly open to security risks due to the ageing nature of many assets deployed today.

This insight is locked

The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content

Premium
Topics
Digital consumer services
Devices
5G
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Pay TV
eSIM

Leveraging data from the 2025 survey, conducted between June and August, this report provides relevant insights into how the consumer behaviour is changing across eight topic areas: 5G; devices; eSIM; generative AI; pay TV; gaming; the metaverse and extended reality; and sustainability.

This insight is locked

Consumers in Focus: eSIM User Behaviour Survey Dashboard 2026

Premium
Topics
eSIM
Digital consumer services

This dashboard, based on GSMA Intelligence 2025 consumer survey, provides all the relevant data related to eSIM user behaviour in a consistent and structured way – a valuable asset for companies looking to formulate or adjust their consumer commercial strategies and plans.

This insight is locked
Full access
Get full access to our research now, get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis
  • 200 reports a year
  • 50 million data points
  • Over 350 metrics