[LINK] Numbering/identification systems

[Kim Holburn]

On 2010/Oct/30, at 4:56 PM, Ivan Trundle wrote:

>> Don't we already have SIMS that can work in different devices?
> 
> I suspect Apple (and other mobile device manufacturers) would like to remove the SIM card altogether,

I suspect you're right.

> which frees up space in the device, avoids the mechanical complications of a SIM slot or carrier cradle,

True.

> and offers true portability and flexibility.

Like I said, we already have flexibility.  SIM cards allow us customers a lot of flexibility that phones without SIM cards don't have.

> Personally, if all it takes is a call to a carrier to use their network, I'd rather do this than carry SIMs for each country that I travel to,

You know if I go to some other country and buy a prepaid SIM and put it in my phone I get good cheap calls and esp texts at local rates.  No-one knows it's in my phone, not the local company nor Apple, nor my home phone company.  If there was no SIM but you just activate your phone then all those companies know. It might be nice for people in my home country to still be able to ring me (and me to pay huge amounts for it) but it's nice to swap SIMs and not get the OS calls.  Also I can't simply swap SIMS to test a SIM or a phone or try out a SIM or a phone either.

> and if I was able to use multiple carriers and use the best option for the time and distance, then I'd be a very happy chappy.

You could do that now if the phone companies allowed it.  There is no technical reason why not, just a financial and contractual and company decisions.  I always liked the way I could do this if I took my phone into another country, but of course I pay ridiculously enormous roaming fees.  I still wonder why I can't do it here.  Roaming in my home country would give me much better coverage.  But it has nothing to do with SIMs and all to do with PHBs.

> Especially since my portable device uses a micro-SIM.
> 
> For countries where an increasing number of portable devices offer double and triple SIM slots (yes, triple), this makes sense.
> 
> Indeed, if you think about it, the whole SIM card business is antiquated and inflexible. Maybe that's the point...

CDMA phones don't use SIMs and they are less flexible.  In fact any way I look at this SIM cards make phones more flexible.  I like the idea of multiple SIM slots.  I once bought a little adaptor that fit in my phone and added a second SIM slot.

-- 
Kim Holburn
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