Subscriber Identity Module
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"Simcard" redirects here. For the brand-name medication, see Simvastatin.
It has been suggested that micro-SIM be merged into this article or
section. (Discuss)
A subscriber identity module (SIM) on a removable
SIM card securely stores the service-subscriber key (IMSI)
used to identify a subscriber on mobile telephony devices
(such as mobile phones and computers). The SIM card
allows users to change phones by simply removing the SIM
card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another
mobile phone or broadband telephony device.
A SIM card contains its unique serial number, internationally
unique number of the mobile user (IMSI), security
authentication and ciphering information, temporary
information related to the local network, a list of the services
the user has access to and two passwords (PIN for usual use
and PUK for unlocking).
SIM cards are available in three standard sizes. The first is the size of a credit card (85.60 mm ×
53.98 mm x 0.76 mm). The newer, most popular miniature version has the same thickness, but a
length of 25 mm and a width of 15 mm, and has one of its corners truncated (chamfered) to prevent
misinsertion. The newest incarnation known as the 3FF or Micro SIM has dimensions of 15 mm ×
12 mm. Most cards of the two smaller sizes are supplied as a full-sized card with the smaller card held
in place by a few plastic links; it can easily be broken off to be used in a device that uses the smaller
SIM.
The first SIM card was made in 1991, with Munich smart card maker Giesecke & Devrient selling the
first 300 SIM cards to Finnish wireless network operator Radiolinja.
Contents [hide]
1 Smart card technology
1.1 Issuer identification number (max. 7 digits)
1.2 Individual account identification
2 Card sizes
3 Usage in mobile phone standards
4 Operating systems
5 Data
5.1 Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICC-ID)
5.2 International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
5.3 Authentication key (Ki)
5.3.1 Authentication process
5.4 Location area identity
5.5 SMS messages and contacts
5.6 Universal Subscriber Identity Module
6 Japan
A mini SIM card next to its electrical
contacts in a Nokia 6233.
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7 Finland
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Smart card technology
There are three standards for SIM cards: ISO/IEC 7816 Class
A, B and C (5V, 3V and 1.8V). The operating voltage of the
majority of SIM cards launched before 1998 was 5V. SIM
cards produced subsequently are compatible with 3V and 5V
or compatible with 1.8V and 3V.
Each SIM card stores a unique International Mobile
Subscriber Identity (IMSI), of this number format:
The first 3 digits represent the Mobile Country Code
(MCC).
The next 2 digits represent the Mobile Network Code (MNC).
The next 10 digits represent the mobile station identification number.
A SIM card also has an ICC-ID number based on International Standard ISO/IEC 7812. The maximum
length of the visible card number is 20 characters; 19 digits are preferred, but telecommunication
network operators who already issue Phase 1 SIM cards with an identification number length of 20
digits may retain this length. The number is composed of the following subparts:
Issuer identification number (max. 7 digits)
Major industry identifier (MII), 2 digits, 89 for telecommunication purposes.
Country code, 1-3 digits, as defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164.
Issuer identifier, variable.
Individual account identification
Individual account identification number.
Check digit.
W-SIM is a SIM card that also integrates core cellular technology into the card itself.
A virtual SIM is a mobile phone number provided by a mobile network operator that does not require a
SIM card to terminate phone calls on a user's mobile phone.
Card sizes
SIM cards were first made the same size as a credit card
(85.60 mm × 53.98 mm × 0.76 mm). The development of
physically smaller mobile devices prompted the development
of a smaller SIM card, the Mini SIM card. Mini SIM cards
have the same thickness as full-size cards, but their length
and width are reduced to 25 mm × 15 mm.
The Mini SIM card has the same contact arrangement as the
full-size SIM card and they are normally supplied within a
full-size card carrier, attached by a number of linking pieces.
This arrangement (defined in ISO/IEC 7810 as ID-1/000)
allows for such a card as supplied to be used in a device
requiring a full-size card, or for a device requiring a Mini SIM
Illustration of SIM chip structure and
packaging
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card, suitable scorings manufactured along the outline of the
Mini SIM card allow it to be cleanly broken out by hand.
Even smaller device sizes have prompted the development of
a smaller still card size, the 3FF or Micro SIM. Micro SIM
cards have the same thickness and contact arrangement
again, but the length and width are further reduced to 15 mm
× 12 mm. The specifications for the 3FF or Micro SIM also
include additional functionality beyond changing the physical card size.
SIM card sizes
SIM
card
ISO/IEC 7810
size
Length
(mm)
Width
(mm)
Thickness
(mm)
Area
(mm²)
Area as % of fullsize
Fullsize
ID-1 85.60 53.98 0.76 4621 100.0
Mini
SIM
ID-000 25.00 15.00 0.76 375 8.1
Micro
SIM
15.00 12.00 0.76 180 3.9
Usage in mobile phone standards
The use of SIM cards is mandatory in GSM devices. The
equivalent of a SIM in UMTS is called the Universal
Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), which runs a USIM
application, while the Removable User Identity Module (RUIM)
is more popular in CDMA-based devices e.g.
CDMA2000. The UICC card is still colloquially designated a
SIM card. Many CDMA-based standards do not include any
removable card, and the service is bound to a unique
identifier contained in the handset itself.
The satellite phone networks Iridium, Thuraya and Inmarsat's
BGAN also use SIM cards. Sometimes these SIM cards work in regular GSM phones and also allow
GSM customers to roam in satellite networks by using their own SIM card in a satellite phone.
The SIM card introduced a new and significant business opportunity of mobile telecoms operator/carrier
business of the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) which does not own or operate a cellular
telecoms network, but which leases capacity from one of the network operators, and only provides a
SIM card to its customers. MVNOs first appeared in Denmark, Hong Kong, Finland and the UK and
Illustration showing how Mini SIM Cards
and Micro SIM Cards are normally supplied
in a full-size card carrier
SIM card for Thuraya satellite phone
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today exist in over 50 countries including most of Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and parts of Asia
and account for approximately 10% of all mobile phone subscribers around the world.
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent
a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article
and discuss the issue on the talk page. (October 2009)
On some networks, the mobile phone is locked to its Carrier SIM card e.g. on the GSM networks in the
USA and the UK. This tends to happen only in countries where mobile phones are heavily subsidised,
but even then not all countries and not all operators. In the US the phones are locked to the carrier,
meaning that only specific carriers' SIM cards will work. In the UK, typically, most phones with subsidies
are SIM-locked.
Phones sold with a contract are often locked (SIM-locked) to the network that provided the phone,
since the phones are often subsidized in return for using provider for a minimum term (typically, 12 or
24 months). For example in the UK, a phone that would cost £250 without a contract might be offered
free-of-charge with an 18 month contract commitment of £30 per month (£540 commitment in total).
A plethora of online and high-street (third-party) businesses now offer the ability to remove the SIMlock
from a phone, effectively making it possible to then use the phone on any network by inserting a
different SIM card. This is a useful benefit for travellers that might want to put a local SIM card into
their phone when they arrive in a country, in order to minimize roaming charges. In many countries,
now it is possible to buy a pre-pay SIM card just by walking into a store, and these SIM-only deals are
a cost effective way to stay in contact when travelling.
Phones sold as pre-pay often come with an operator subsidy, especially in competitive mobile markets
like the UK. These phones are sold not just through mobile phone stores, but also supermarkets,
catalogs, stationery outlets and online; thus the mobile companies are constantly racing to the lowest
price. Prepay phones come with a bundled SIM, which can be activated by the user in case the phone
is bought up. The handsets are often SIM-locked to ensure that the user does not use another
operator, allowing the original operator to eventually recoup its subsidy. However, because the units can
be unlocked for a small fee (and even the operators themselves offer this service), units can be bought
cheaply, separated from the original SIM card and sold on for a profit, perhaps in other markets,
perhaps as contract phone. This is known in the industry as box breaking, and often harms the profits
of the operator while allowing complicit sales staff and box breakers to reap the rewards. Note that, if a
prepaid handset breaks, the SIM card (representing the prepaid account value, plus user's address
book, history, etc) can typically be moved to another prepaid handset if the phone-network is the same.
That is, the account is tied to the portable SIM card, not the handset, on prepaid phones. This is useful
because by 2010, prepaid handsets cost less than the value a user might have stored in an account.
Mostly, GSM and 3G mobile handsets can easily be SIM-unlocked and used on any suitable network
with any SIM card. A notable exception is the Apple iPhone, where in most markets Apple has gone to
extreme lengths to lock-down their phones; thus they can only be used with the partner's network. This
has led to a popular hack called the jail-break, which allows custom software unapproved by Apple to
run on the phone. Then software can be run to unlock the phone, which frees the iPhone from the
partner network; thus any SIM card can be inserted. (Note that jailbreaking, in itself, does not unlock
the phone, and has other uses as well.) Apple and the hackers are locked in a war of escalation, with
Apple constantly trying to close loopholes in their operating system, and the hackers finding new ways
to jailbreak each version when it becomes available.
In countries where the phones are not subsidised e.g. Italy and Belgium, all phones are unlocked.
Where the phone is not locked to its SIM card, the users can easily switch networks by simply
replacing the SIM card of one network with that of another while using only one phone. This is typical,
for example, among users who may want to optimise their telecoms traffic by different tariffs to different
friends on different networks.
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Dual SIM phones are now made by some mobile phone manufacturers, which save the user from
carrying around a separate phone for every number. There are two types, the first, that allow one to
switch between the SIMS, and the second, that allow both SIMS to be active simultaneously.
Operating systems
SIM operating systems come in two main types: native and Java Card. Native SIMs are based on
proprietary, vendor specific software whereas the Java Card SIMs are based on standards, particularly
Java Card which is a subset of the Java programming language specifically targeted at embedded
devices. Java Card allows the SIM to contain programs that are hardware independent and
interoperable.
Data
SIM cards store network specific information used to authenticate and identify subscribers on the
Network. The most important of these are the ICC-ID, IMSI, Authentication Key (Ki), Local Area Identity
(LAI) and Operator-Specific Emergency Number. The SIM also stores other carrier specific data such
as the SMSC (Short Message Service Center) number, Service Provider Name (SPN), Service Dialing
Numbers (SDN), Advice-Of-Charge parameters and Value Added Service (VAS) applications. (look to
GSM 11.11)
Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICC-ID)
Each SIM is Internationally identified by its ICC-ID. ICC-IDs are stored in the SIM cards and are also
engraved or printed on the SIM card body during a process called personalization. The ICC-ID is
defined by the ITU-T recommendation E.118[1]. According to E.118 the number is up to 19 digits long
including a single check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm. However, the GSM Phase 1[2]
defined the ICC-ID length as 10 octets with operator-specific structure.
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
SIM cards are identified on their individual operator networks by holding a unique IMSI. Mobile
operators connect mobile phone calls and communicate with their market SIM cards using their IMSI.
Authentication key (Ki)
The Ki is a 128-bit value used in authenticating the SIMs on the mobile network. Each SIM holds a
unique Ki assigned to it by the operator during the personalization process. The Ki is also stored on a
database (known as Authentication Center or AuC) on the carrier's network.
The SIM card is designed not to allow the Ki to be obtained using the smart-card interface. Instead, the
SIM card provides a function, Run GSM Algorithm, that allows the phone to pass data to the SIM card
to be signed with the Ki. This, by design, makes usage of the SIM card mandatory unless the Ki can
be extracted from the SIM card, or the carrier is willing to reveal the Ki. In practice, the GSM
cryptographic algorithm for computing SRES_2 (see step 4, below) from the Ki has certain
vulnerabilities which can allow the extraction of the Ki from a SIM card and the making of a duplicate
SIM card.
Authentication process
1. When the Mobile Equipment starts up, it obtains the International Mobile Subscriber Identity
(IMSI) from the SIM card, and passes this to the mobile operator requesting access and
authentication. The Mobile Equipment may have to pass a PIN to the SIM card before the SIM
card will reveal this information.
2. The operator network searches its database for the incoming IMSI and its associated Ki.
3. The operator network then generates a Random Number (RAND, which is a nonce) and signs it
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with the Ki associated with the IMSI (and stored on the SIM card), computing another number
known as Signed Response 1 (SRES_1).
4. The operator network then sends the RAND to the Mobile Equipment, which passes it to the
SIM card. The SIM card signs it with its Ki, producing SRES_2 which it gives to the Mobile
Equipment along with encryption key Kc. The Mobile Equipment passes SRES_2 on to the
operator network.
5. The operator network then compares its computed SRES_1 with the computed SRES_2 that the
Mobile Equipment returned. If the two numbers match the SIM is authenticated and the Mobile
Equipment is granted access to the operator's network. Kc is used to encrypt all further
communications between the Mobile Equipment and the network.
Location area identity
The SIM stores network state information, which is received from the Location Area Identity (LAI).
Operator networks are divided into Location Areas, each having a unique LAI number. When the device
changes locations, it stores the new LAI to the SIM and sends it back to the operator network with its
new location. If the device is power cycled, it will take data off the SIM, and search for the previous
LAI. This saves time by avoiding having to search the whole list of frequencies that the telephone
normally would.
SMS messages and contacts
Most SIM cards will orthogonally store a number of SMS messages and phone book contacts. The
contacts are stored in simple 'Name and number' pairs - entries containing multiple phone numbers and
additional phone numbers will usually not be stored on the SIM card. When a user tries to copy such
entries to a SIM the handset's software will break them up into multiple entries, discarding any
information that isn't a phone number. The number of contacts and messages stored depends on the
SIM; early models would store as little as 5 messages and 20 contacts while modern SIM cards can
usually store over 250 contacts.[citation needed]
Universal Subscriber Identity Module
A Universal Subscriber Identity Module is an application for
UMTS mobile telephony running on a UICC smart card which
is inserted in a 3G mobile phone. There is a common
misconception to call the UICC card itself a USIM, but the
USIM is merely a logical entity on the physical card.
It stores user subscriber information, authentication
information and provides storage space for text messages
and phone book contacts. The phone book on a UICC has
been greatly enhanced.
For authentication purposes, the USIM stores a long-term
pre-shared secret key K, which is shared with the
Authentication Center (AuC) in the network. The USIM also verifies a sequence number that must be
within a range using a window mechanism to avoid replay attacks, and is in charge of generating the
session keys CK and IK to be used in the confidentiality and integrity algorithms of the KASUMI block
cipher in UMTS.
The equivalent of USIM on GSM networks is SIM, and on CDMA networks it is CSIM.
Japan
Japan's PDC system also specifies a SIM, but this has never been implemented commercially. The
specification of the interface between the Mobile Equipment and the SIM is given in the RCR STD-27
A 64K UICC card, that has not been
removed from its larger Card
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annex 4. The Subscriber Identity Module Expert Group was a committee of specialists assembled by
the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to draw up the specifications (GSM
11.11) for interfacing between smart cards and mobile telephones. In 1994, the name SIMEG was
changed to SMG9.
Finland
In July 2005, the Finnish government announced that a Citizen Certificate, a government-guaranteed
electronic identity included in a SIM card, would be made available to every individual resident in
Finland before the end of 2005, allowing mobile phone users to access e-services on the move. The
Citizen Certificate has been described as "basically an e-ID card that will be compatible with several
hardware devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, personal computers, digital TV sets, and public web
kiosks". It is based on open standards and secured public key infrastructure (PKI).[citation needed]
This plan has been withdrawn.
See also
International Mobile Equipment Identity
SIM lock
SIM cloning
Dual SIM
UICC
ISIM
CSIM
R-UIM Removable User Identification Module
(CDMA network SIM equivalent)
W-SIM
micro-SIM
Smart Card
MEID
Valimo Mobile Authentication Client (VMAC)
Mobile Signature
SyncML
Single Wire Protocol
SIM Application Toolkit
smartphone
Mobile phone
Pay As You Go (phone)
Mobile broadband
Tethering
PDA
USB modem
References
1. ^ ITU-T, ITU-T Recommendation E.118, The international telecommunication charge card, Revision history ,
Revision "05/2006"
2. ^ ETSI, ETSI Recommendation GSM 11.11, Specifications of the SIM-ME Interface, Version 3.16.0
External links
GSM 11.11 - Specification of the Subscriber Identity Module - Mobile Equipment (SIM - ME)
interface.
KDDI's au IC-Card NTT DoCoMo's FOMA
Card
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