ESIM use in UAE: Could be sooner than you think
dubai — Apple had announced that its new flagships are supporting eSIM technologies, though it will take a quite a while before consumers can actually use it.
A Dubai-based firm has just begun speeding that process up.
Workz Group, a mobile and IoT solutions provider based in Dubai Production City, announced the launch of a new remote SIM provisioning solution for mobile network operators in partnership with London-headquartered Truphone. It will provide operators with the immediate capability to allow owners of eSIM-enabled devices, such as the recently-announced iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, plus Apple Watches.
While Workz has no network of its own, “we are helping network operators in the region utilise eSIM technologies”, Mark Humphreys, chief marketing officer of Workz Group, told Khaleej Times in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
“After our announcement this week, there was a lot of interest — meetings, discussions, etc — on how we can help organisations,” he said, adding that while there is no specific timeframe, he is confident that the service could be rolled out “very soon”.
Humphreys, citing client confidentiality, declined to name the operators they are working with in the Middle East and North Africa, but did say that there was “significant interest” from major operators in the region.
The UAE’s two telecom companies, etisalat and du, had earlier told Khaleej Times that they are working to get this technology to the country at the soonest.
An eSIM — or embedded SIM — is, in layman’s terms, a SIM that is incorporated into a device without using traditional physical chips, ones we use most predominantly in mobile phones. Its technology, however, must be supported by a telecom operator; after the new iPhones were launched a couple of weeks ago, Apple announced that only 10 countries around the world have the infrastructure to implement this.
Humphreys pointed out that eSIM technology, like any other emerging innovations, has the potential to disrupt and challenge status quo, and it is a major stepping stone towards further implementation of the Internet of Things.
He believes that eSIMs will be another huge game-changer — but there’s also more spunk if growing tech is announced by an bellwether.
“When a company as big as Apple makes an announcement like this, it changes everything — it changes a lot,” Humphreys said.
“It will dramatically change things, not only with your smartphone, but also with laptops, watches, cars — anything.”