The CDMA SIM ...
Rich,
<< I believe that PJ just answered that question in an interview a couple of days ago. He said (paraphrased) that the main reason CDMA didn't use SIM cards was because if a customer brought untested (read non-conforming) phones onto a CDMA system it could bring the entire network (cell) down. >>
The primary reason that the SIM was a late arrival to CDMAland is an acute manifestation of the NIH syndrome.
The 2nd reason is that the SIM adds complexity and extra certification steps and is not under the control of a handset manufacturer which QUALCOMM was until 2000, and unlike GSM handset manufacturers, QUALCOMM never developed much of any in-house expertise in SIM technology even though they did equip a QCP-1900 with a SIM for the Vodafone Newbury trials in 1997. Likewise they were never an active participant in the CDG SIM card AG which was formed in late 1994. at the request of prospective CDMA carriers, and who initially published their whitepaper titled "Why SIM in CDMA" in 1995, and updated it several times thereafter.
One reason that the CDMA SIM (R-UIM) is now an option in CDMA2000 phones is that China told QUALCOMM in no uncertain terms "No SIM in CDMA ... No CDMA in China." China completed the CDMA SIM spec in 1997 and they did so without QUALCOMM's assistance. Korea completed the CDMA SIM spec in 1998. That spec was finally dusted off in 2000 and formed the basis for the 1st CDMA R-UIM specification which is still evolving.
A second reason is that in order to authenticate to a GSM network or a UMTS (WCDMA) network a SIM or USIM is requisite. As a consequence MSM6300 based multi-mode GSM/CDMA phones require a R-UIM and some can support a GSM SIM as well. Same will apply to the MSM7600 based phones which we'll probably see in 2008 since it's due to sample late this year, 2½ years after initial announcement.
Last year alone, ~650 million SIM or USIM enabled ~650 GSM/3GSM UMTS (WCDMA) handsets capable of global roaming in almost 200 countries were sold through to end user customers on over 600 GSM/3GSM networks. Have you ever heard an instance of a GSM phone with its SIM, or a UMTS (WCDMA) phone with its USIM, crashing a network? ... or for that matter a single-mode or multi-mode CDMA phone with a R-UIM crashing a network? The GCF (Global Certification Forum) exists for a reason, and the Global Roaming Forum (GRF) served its purpose.
One of our creative friends conjectured elsewhere that he expected the GSM voice portion to continue to work with SIM cards, but not the data portion. Whether voice or data or multitasking voice and data, in 3SM-land you authenticate to the network with a removable UIM the USIM or UICC (i.e. the new multi-application platform capable of containing the SIM, USIM, ISIM [IMS SIM] and other applications that could run in parallel. The UICC refers to the physical IC card, whereas SIM/USIM etc. refers to a single application residing on the UICC)
I agree that the numerous existing SIM patents (the early ones by Bull and Inovotron have expired) are not inhibiting more widespread R-UIM adoption. There is, however, an interesting battle going on at the moment regarding adoption of competing protocols to be used for a high-speed interface for multiple application UICCs (essentially a much faster bus) and IP is at the root of that battle. The protagonists are Gemplus and Axalto (a spinoff from Schlumberger). They are soon to be (may already be) merged as 'Gemalto.' which sounds like a bloody milkshake. Both companies are French from opposite ends of that country, but otherwise, merging the two is sort of like merging QUALCOMM and Nokia. Probably the merger will end that battle, but Sandisk is also a protagonist.
cardtechnology.com
Best,
- Eric - |
