T-Mobile announces tiny new "embedded SIM" for connected devices
By Nilay Patel 
posted Apr 23rd 2009 4:28PM
posted Apr 23rd 2009 4:28PM
Sure, SIM cards are small, but they're not tiny, and fitting the entire assembly into an embedded device requires a lot of space -- so T-Mobile's new embedded SIM system should make it possible to build even smaller connected devices like hospital monitors and smart energy meters that can report back to a server. The new SIMs are the size of a pinhead and made of silicon instead of plastic, which allows them to be coded at the factory and hard-mounted directly to a device, skipping the provisioning and installation steps that would come with regular SIMs. Devices with the new SIMs are expected to be out and sending data over T-Mo's network in as little as six months -- the first is an energy meter from Echelon that should hit soon.
Let's hope this doesn't get to their phones.
Great, so now instead of pulling the SIM out to change from T-Mobile to AT&T you'll have to replace the whole device.
If you're a manufacturer building this into things like power meters you'd better hope you negotiated a VERY long term bulletproof contract.
The embedded SIM solves 2 big problems and DOES NOT enforce vendor lock-in because a SIM holder is still fitted in the meter, that when populated with a SIM as you know it will override the embedded SIM. The two problems:
- reliability: temperature range. Meters have to go -40C to +85C. SIMs as you know them melt and malfunction at high temps especially.
- reliability: contacts. smart meters have lifetimes of 15-20 years and the GPRS modem should not be touched until the GPRS networks are turned off, which is 2013-2015 or ? depending upon who you talk to. The SIM holder and contacts simply are not designed to last even that long.
- cost: fitting a SIM card in the factory is more costly than including an embedded SIM (that as I point out above, can be overridden if needed, though with the associated problems noted here).
What the hell? This is wrong! The whole point of SIMs is to allow choice of network... Does the GSM standard even allow this?
You guy's, this Technology is Not meant for their Phones. Just other devices so you can calm down.
I see this as T-Mobile's first of many attempts to get into the Enterprise Business here in the States similarly to the way they do in Europe.
They need to leverage their nationwide network, open up roaming where their network is weaker and really push hard to win wireless enterprise business
from their larger rivals.
I think they really need to focus on levering their UMA service and push it into corporations inside hard to reach high rises and other normal wireless
dead zones.
I suggest they don't price themselves out of the market in the process.
I have a contact who works with T-Mobile Business Sales and he says that is going to be their new approach soon. Sometimes they have to
go beyond cell phones and offer other wireless services to entice long term high revenue customers.
It's fine, even impressive - so long as it doesn't get anywhere near my T-Mobile phone.