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8 July, 2019

SIM form Factors - Which One to Choose?

In today’s rapidly growing world of IoT (Internet of Things), making the correct decision from a vast range of cellular M2M connectivity devices might, at times, pose challenges. Choosing which SIM format you need is one such decision. SIMs are increasingly being used to connect IoT devices and communicate data, allowing for automation. SIMs are being used across almost every industry to improve the accuracy and productivity of a business.

A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), comes with some history. The 2FF Mini SIM comes all the way back from 1996 and as technology improved, so did SIM cards. SIM cards are now available in four sizes with somewhat of irregular shape – these also known as Form Factors. The e-SIM was developed in 2016.

Every SIM card holds its own unique serial number (ICCID), Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) number, security authentication and ciphering information and information related to the network.

SIMs also hold a list of the services the user has access to, and two passwords: a personal identification number (PIN) for normal use, and a secret unblocking code (PUC) for PIN unlocking.

Each of these four SIM sizes has its own advantages in the modern IoT market.

Which SIM Form Factor for my device?

There’s a diversity in SIM Card Dimensions. Globally, the most commonly used SIM cards are:

FF Mini SIM 25mm x 15mm x 0.76mm

3FF Micro SIM 15mm x 12mm x 0.76mm

4FF Nano SIM 12.3mm × 8.8mm × 0.67mm

MFF2 Embedded SIM – also known as Chip SIM 6mm × 5mm × 0.9 mm

Selecting the correct SIM card dimension and form factor is dependant on your device and its capability.

How to manage your Business SIM cards.

SIMcontrol is a SIM management platform that helps companies to manage Business Prepaid, Managed APN as well as Global Roaming SIM cards. This makes it easy and affordable through monitoring your spend for better management of SIMs. By using one platform across different networks and SIM types, it has the power to reduce risk, save time and money, improve productivity and ensure higher profitability. SIMcontrol is the solution that takes away the hassle and pain of connecting your cellular data devices.