Migrating to the New Super SIM Hardware
Overview
With the current innovations, acquisitions, and our never-ending desire to improve user experience with KORE products and services, we will be making updates to our SIM hardware, eSIM profiles, and the applets that power Super SIM. Most changes below will only be on a go-forward basis for newly manufactured SIMs. The changes to our applets can also be made over-the-air and should be eventually applied to all active SIMs.
We plan to begin shipping new Super SIMs with the changes detailed below beginning in Q3 2025.
If you believe that any of the changes below will negatively impact your experience or ability to use Super SIM, please contact your account manager or email Support to discuss options.
What is changing?
New ICCID prefix
The ICCID is the unique identifier given to all physical SIMs or eSIM profiles.
Currently, Super SIMs are produced with ICCIDs beginning in 8988307.
Going forward, Super SIMs will be produced with ICCIDs beginning in 8910392.
If you use this identifier to manage logic in your device’s firmware or in other applications, you will need to update them. For example, you may use the SIM's ICCID prefix to automatically set your device's APN or to determine which connectivity provider API to make requests to to activate your SIM. If this is the case, you will need to update your firmware and applications to accommodate multiple ICCID prefixes for Super SIM. Learn more about how to use the ICCID prefix to identify Super SIMs here.
Additionally, if you use other KORE SIMs in addition to Super SIM, you may need to also make changes to distinguish Super SIM from other KORE SIMs. Some other KORE SIM products use the 890139 ICCID prefix. Note that this is a substring of the Super SIM ICCID prefix which has the additional "2" character. Ensure that you can properly distinguish Super SIMs from these other KORE SIMs so that you do not encounter issues configuring your devices or updating your SIMs.
Thoroughly review your firmware and provisioning workflows to ensure your devices or applications can distinguish Super SIMs from other KORE SIMs whose ICCID may start with the same 6 characters (891039). Use the first 7 characters (8910392) — including the "2" — to properly identify Super SIMs.
New Service Provider Name (SPN)
The service provider name (SPN) is a value that can be read from the SIM using an AT+ command.
Currently, the SPN on Super SIMs is Twilio.
Going forward, newly manufactured Super SIMs will have the SPN value set to KORE Super SIM.
If you have firmware that supports SIMs from multiple providers, there may be a lookup table within the firmware to set the APN based on the SPN, such as that used by Android. If this is the case, you will need to update your firmware to accommodate multiple SPN’s for Super SIM. Learn more about how to use the SPN to identify Super SIMs here.
Existing SIMs with the 8988307 ICCID prefix will continue to use Twilio as the SPN while new SIMs with the 8910392 ICCID prefix will use KORE Super SIM.
SIM applets & local AT commands
Within each Super SIM there are multiple SIM applets that manage functionality such as automatic IMSI switching and checking for over-the-air (OTA) updates. Refer to these pages to learn more about Super SIM's multi-IMSI approach and OTA updates. You can use AT commands passed via the modem to the SIM to trigger some applet functions. The SIM applets can be updated over-the-air so we intend to update all Super SIMs with the new applets.
SIM applets can be updated over-the-air (OTA). We intend to update all existing SIMs with the new applets in H2 2025. These new applets will have different AT commands to trigger applet actions locally.
If you believe these applet changes will introduce problems when designing, manufacturing, or deploying your devices (current or future), we want to hear from you. Please create a support case or email Support to share your concerns.
Multi-IMSI applet
You can use AT+CSIM commands to have some control over Super SIM’s multi-IMSI applet from your device. For example, you can accelerate the IMSI failover process, forcing the applet to the next IMSI. This can reduce the time to reconnect in the event of an outage on the IMSI currently being used by forcing it to the next IMSI before the applet’s timer triggered this same change. You can learn about the current multi-IMSI functionality that you can control with AT+CSIM commands here.
We will be updating the multi-IMSI applet on all Super SIMs. We will start by manufacturing new SIMs with these updated applets but will then over-the-air update existing Super SIMs with the new applet. After this update, you will have access to additional functionality; however the AT+CSIM commands for the existing functionality will change.
If your device’s firmware uses these existing AT+CSIM commands, you will need to update your firmware to use the new commands. We recommend you update your firmware to try both the new and previous AT+CSIM commands until all devices have been updated with the new applets to ensure no disruption to your device’s capabilities.
Refer to the updated documentation about the multi-IMSI applet section below for a comparison of the current and future local applet functionality that can be controlled using AT commands.
OTA polling applet
You can use AT+CSIM commands to trigger the SIM applet responsible for over-the-air (OTA) updates to check if there are pending updates from your device. This can be especially useful if you have a battery powered device. If your device typically goes to sleep quickly after waking up and transmitting its data, this can prevent OTA updates from ever being delivered to your SIMs as the modem may be shutoff before the SIM applet’s delay timer expires. You can learn more about OTA updates and how you can trigger the applet with AT+CSIM commands here.
We will be updating the OTA applet on all Super SIMs. We will start by manufacturing new SIMs with these updated applets but will then over-the-air update existing Super SIMs with the new applet. When the OTA applet is updated, the AT+CSIM command to trigger it to check for updates will change.
If your device’s firmware uses this existing AT+CSIM command, you will need to update your firmware to use the new command. We recommend you update your firmware to try both the new and previous AT+CSIM commands until all devices have been updated with the new applets to ensure no disruption to your device’s capabilities.
Refer to the updated documentation about OTA updates for a comparison of the current and future local applet functionality that can be controlled and their respective AT commands.
Upgraded SIM hardware
To reduce the number of hardware variants we maintain and to improve the quality of the SIM hardware you receive, we intend to produce all new Super SIMs, starting with those produced with the new ICCID range indicated above as industrialized eUICC SIMs (eSIMs). This will apply for plastic SIM cards, MFF2 embedded SIM hardware, and all other form factors.
If you believe this hardware change will introduce problems when designing, manufacturing, or deploying your devices (current or future), we want to hear from you. Please create a support case or email Support to share your concerns.
5G SA Readiness
A significant improvement to note is readiness for 5G standalone ("5G SA"), although it may take some time before it becomes the standard for IoT due to various factors such as network support, hardware costs, and the longevity of 4G LTE networks.
However, certain use cases, like vehicle cameras, can greatly benefit from 5G SA or have devices being designed to last in the field for many years or even decades. 5G SA introduces new challenges, particularly in terms of the SIM hardware's role in authentication with the network. This requires the SIM to have more processing power to handle the encryption and decryption of subscription data during the authentication process. Traditional UICC SIMs may not be capable of this, but our eUICC (eSIM) hardware variants have the necessary processing power for 5G SA.
SIM hardware manufacturing locations
Currently, Super SIMs are produced either in Mexico or China depending on their type and destination.
Going forward, Super SIMs will also be produced in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Taiwan.
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