Israel’s Ministry of Communications is working to oblige mobile companies to activate a virtual SIM service (eSIM) in the coming months.
The move, said the ministry, will allow, among other things, soldiers, evacuees from the areas near Gaza and Lebanon and consumers suffering from cell phone malfunctions to easily switch to a different mobile phone provider.
The eSIM service is a virtual (non-physical) SIM service that is stored on the phone, similar to a file. Thus, the mobile device can contain several identities and a subscriber can change identities as needed.
During the war in Gaza, inquiries were received from evacuees and reservists who suffered from a lack of cellular reception because the company they were subscribed to did not provide optimal service in the area where they were staying. Using the eSIM feature will allow an easy and quick transition between companies in such cases and receiving service from a company that provides service in this area.
The eSIM service exists in most mobile devices and is possible in most developed countries.
Minister of Communications Dr Shlomo Karai: “The entry of an eSIM into the Israeli communications market will make it easier in the current reality for the evacuees and the hundreds of thousands of our soldiers in the reserves to move around easily and without the need for a physical card. The move is expected to make the packages abroad cheaper for every family while giving them the option to easily switch to another provider and an affordable package adapted to their ability.”
