Due to ongoing investments in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the consequent growth of the IoT, IoT SIM cards, a variant of the conventional SIM card designed to store user information and connect mobile phones to cellular networks, were created. Most of the time, Internet of Things devices operate with very little oversight from humans and communicate with other machines more often than they do with people. For Internet of Things deployments, which may contain hundreds of thousands or even millions of these devices, a connection to the network that is not only dependable but also adaptable and safe is of the utmost importance. Thankfully, Internet of Things SIM cards are created from the ground up with these needs in mind.

Topology diagram for IoT SIM cards

The most important part of a typical SIM card is the contact chip, which is often covered in some kind of protective plastic. The CPU on the chip is equipped with various sizes of read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and electronically erasable, programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) ranging from 16 to 256 KB.

In order to verify users on consumer mobile networks, SIMs were originally developed. Now, in addition to serving this purpose, they also serve as a storage bank for unique information about the device, such as carrier data and authentication credentials. The gadget may now connect to a cellular network thanks to it as well. As a result, SIM cards rank as one of the crucial elements of IoT applications.

Data Storage and Connection Establishment

For the device to connect to a network, mobile phone SIM cards often carry a set of authentication credentials. The gadget cannot operate correctly without these credentials. These typically include location information and security keys. Even IoT SIM cards from some suppliers perform the same tasks as traditional commercial iot sim cards, such as identifying the device to allow it to connect to the network, controlling the connection, controlling security settings, and enabling data transmission and reception. Both traditional SIM cards and Internet of Things SIM cards carry the identifying data listed below:

(ICCID) Integrated Circuit Cards Identification Number

An individual numerical combination known as the ICCID, or Individual Chip Identifier, is assigned to a SIM card and serves as the chips in that card’s identification. Additionally, eSIM profiles can be recognised by their ICCID numbers. Physical SIM cards have ICCIDs stored in the card’s processor and displayed on the exterior of the card’s enclosure.

Key of Authentication (Ki) As a 128-bit number called a Ki, each SIM card has its own unique authentication key that is stored on it. The device is authenticated with the network through a challenge-response exchange. The body in charge of allocating the Ki is called the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). The gadget and the data it contains are kept secure since the real Ki is not communicated over the network, making it impossible for it to be intercepted.

The acronym (LAI) stands for “location area identity.”

Each and every sector of a public land mobile network (PLMN) is given an identification, also known as a LAI. The Mobile Country Code (MCC), Mobile Network Code (MNC), and a Location Area Code (LAC) that is more specific make up the Location Area Identifier (LAI). Combining these two forms of data enables the network to pinpoint the location of a SIM card and the device it is connected to.