The first operator in the world to be eSIM certified

(Fornebu, 6 December 2017) Telenor has now been certified to launch eSIM by GSMA, the global operators' association. The certification makes Telenor the first operator in the world to have had its own eSIM platform certified.

Telenor Norge has a strong eSIM department that has worked to establish the company's own eSIM platform. Following a thorough process, the company has now been certified to use the eSIM solution by GSMA, the organisation which coordinates the interests of all mobile operators worldwide.

- We are extremely pleased to obtain certification. The certification process is subject to some very strict security requirements. Only four companies worldwide have so far been certified. Telenor Norge is the first operator. Many people within the company have worked hard to prepare Telenor for eSIM, says Berit Svendsen, EVP Scandinavia Cluster and CEO of Telenor Norway.

Integrated SIM card

eSIM stands for "embedded SIM", which means that the SIM is integrated or embedded in the terminal. This autumn, the technology department at Telenor has been working on and installing an eSIM platform that will support both machine-to-machine communication (M2M) and private and corporate customers. In specific terms, this means that Telenor can now support eSIM when terminals, telephones and equipment with embedded SIM cards are launched. This will simplify mobile solutions. Instead of swapping SIM cards when you buy a new mobile phone or having to swap your SIM card between different devices, you will be able to download a SIM profile from the internet.

Unlimited number of devices online

- You might switch on your new phone in the store and bring up a list of relevant mobile operators. You could then select Telenor, enter My Telenor, and buy or use your existing subscription. This is an exciting development that offers a simplified process for both our customers and ourselves, says Svendsen.

There is currently a limit on the number of SIM cards per customer. Customers will now be able to have an unlimited number of devices online.

- With eSIM, you can have various phones, clocks, cameras or connections in your car, to mention just a few examples, under the same subscription. This is something we believe our customers will really appreciate, says Bjørn Ivar Moen, Head of Telenor's Mobile Division.

eSIM will promote innovation

This new development will also promote innovation as the threshold for producing devices that can go online will be considerably reduced.

- We believe that the number of devices with an online connection will explode with eSIM, particularly in the context of the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine communication. We currently have over a million devices that can connect to the internet in Norway; however, we believe that soon there will be more devices online than people in this country. eSIM will accelerate this trend, says Ove Fredheim, Head of Telenor's Corporate Market Division.

Initially, it will be machine-to-machine (M2M) connections that will benefit from eSIM, for example cars, smart electricity meters and alarm systems. The technology is still in its early stages, and we do not know for certain what customers can expect when new smartphones are launched with embedded SIM.

Telenor is already rolling out a pilot for eSIM and is working on the technology with a number of businesses specialising in M2M. Telenor will carry out a number of commercial launches during 2018.

Other companies that currently have certification are:

IBM

Gemalto, a digital security company

Giesecke & Devrient, a German company specialising in secure data management within the banking sector.

Idemia, a global company involved with secure ID.

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