苹果三星与业界协商推出电子SIM卡

苹果三星与业界协商推出电子SIM卡

买了新手机，却被迫更换号码？不想换运营商，就无法使用新手机？由于现在各个型号品牌手机还是使用传统的只与特定运营商绑定的SIM卡，这样的经历常常发生。有消息称，苹果、三星正在与诸多大型电信公司进行协商，希望在不久的未来推出统一内置型SIM卡。这种新型SIM卡将兼容世界上许多大型电信运营商的信号，使手机被锁定在某一特定运营商不能变更的时代成为过去。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

GSMA 全球移动通信协会

Deutsche Telekom 德国电信

Etisalat 阿联酋电信

Hutchison Whampoa 和记黄埔（香港）

Orange 法国电信旗下手机电信子公司

Telefónica 西班牙电信 Vodafone|沃达丰（爱尔兰）电信

Apple,Samsung in talks with telecom groups to launch e-Sim card（515words）

By Daniel Thomas and Tim Bradshawi

Apple and Samsung are in advanced talks to join the rest of the telecoms industry to launch electronic Sim cards,in a move could fundamentally change how consumers sign up to mobile operators.

The GSMA,the industry association which represents mobile operators worldwide,is close to announcing an agreement to produce a standardised embedded Sim for consumer devices that would include the smartphone makers.

The traditional Sim card locks in the user to a network but an embedded Sim would enable a smartphone,tablet or wearable user to avoid locking themselves into a plan with a single operator or sign up to switch instantly.

Networks expected to support the plans include AT&T,Deutsche Telekom,Etisalat,Hutchison Whampoa,Orange,Telefónica and Vodafone.

Anne Bouverot,chief executive of the GSMA,said all parties were heading towards an agreement for the “common architecture”.

However,with any deal still contingent on finalising the technical specifications it will be at least a year before any devices supporting the electronic Sim reach the market.

The GSMA said: “With the majority of operators on board,the plan is to finalise the technical architecture that will be used in the development of an end-to-end remote SIM solution for consumer devices,with delivery anticipated by 2016.”

Last year,Apple revealed its own Sim card for its latest iPads. However,it was supported by only a handful of operators such as T-Mobile and AT&T in the US,and just EE in the UK. Those familiar with its UK rollout said that it had not been widely adopted.

The electronic Sim is not expected to replace the Apple Sim,a piece of plastic that fits into a device and could be included in the next generation of iPhones.

The GSMA said it was “continuing to work with Apple to secure their support for the initiative. While we are optimistic,a formal agreement with them is still in progress.” Apple declined to comment.

The GSMA has already come up with an embedded Sim standard for the management of connections in the machine to machine market,where physical SIMs might not easily be changed in devices such as utility meters,traffic lights or assisted living systems.

“We have got everyone back on one point,with Apple and Samsung agreeing to be part of that specification,” said MsBouverot. “We have been working with them and others to create an industry solution for machines and will agree a solution for consumer electronics.” MsBouverot,who will step down as chief executive this year,said an industry-wide electronic Sim was one of several objectives established during her time in office.

She added that about 3.7bn people had a mobile phone — about half the world's population — but that connecting the remainder would be a huge challenge for the industry.MsBouverot also pointed to the service that allowed the phone to act as a single point of identity for multiple online services,but added that more work was needed on developing next-generation 5G mobile networks.