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MTN Nigeria this week piloted a new service on its network: the embedded Subscriber Identity Modules also called eSIM. The mobile telecoms operator will be the first to begin the eSIM service in all of West Africa.
The trial will run for one year and is available on a first come first served basis to a limited number of subscribers with compatible devices, said the operator’s CTO, Mazen Mroue, adding that MTN was keen to wrap up the pilot stage so as to push the service into the hands of more users.
The eSIM is a small chip used to authenticate a subscriber’s identity with the carrier. The embedded SIM unlike the physical SIM does not require to be inserted into a smartphone or any other device as it is already built into it..
The information on an eSIM is rewritable meaning the subscriber can decide to change his network operator with a simple phone call. It involves no physical SIM cards and so no physical swapping is required.
MTN said it already has the approval of the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to deploy the service.
Touted as as the next step in the evolution of SIMs, the technology is designed to deliver unprecedented freedom and flexibility. An embedded SIM supports multiple profiles and allow users to connect multiple numbers to the devices they are deployed in.
Mroue described the eSIM as a game-changer that will bring more digital benefits to subscribers. His words: “With the introduction of the e-SIM, we will offer customers a seamless and distinctive digital experience with new levels of flexibility, simplicity and convenience.
“This is a further demonstration of our firm commitment to delivering the benefits of a bold new digital world to our customers; and we will continue seeking new ways to provide solutions that address old and new challenges, making life a little easier and brighter.”
