What is a SIM?

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What is a SIM?

Posted On : Jun-10-2009 | seen (784) times | Article Word Count : 444 |

Anyone who uses a mobile phone will be aware that slotted in securely to the back of their handset is their own unique SIM card.

Anyone who uses a mobile phone will be aware that slotted in securely to the back of their handset is their own unique SIM card. This little card holds some unique information about the phone user, including their cell phone number, and details of their contacts. The first SIM was produced in 1991 by a card making company in Munich.

SIM actually means Subscriber Identity Module and its purpose is to identify each user on a mobile phone network using a variety of numbers and codes. These digits act as a representation of information unique to the SIM.

As the unique details of each phone user are stored on their SIM card and not their mobile, this means that a user can simply remove their SIM and transfer it to any other phone if they want to use it.

Each contact is stored as a simple name and number pair so that phone users can access the phone numbers of friends and relatives by simply scrolling through their phones rather than having to carry numbers around separately in an address book or diary. The number of contacts and messages that can be stored varies from phone to phone but nowadays most SIMs can store over 250 contacts and messages.

Many phone users will be aware that their phone is locked. This means that their phone will only work with the SIM card issued to them by their particular network. Mobile telephone handsets bought SIM-free are not locked and can be operated with any SIM, but contract phones are always locked.

This is as a means of protecting the mobile phone networks who often offer handsets that would cost hundreds of pounds SIM-free, free of charge to their contract customers. They want to make sure that the customer and their phone are locked to their network for the entirety of their contract so that the network is sure to recover the costs of subsidising the phone handset.

Nowadays it is easy to walk into almost any mobile phone store and purchase a single SIM card without a phone, in almost any country. This means that travellers, who have first paid to have their mobile phone unlocked to accept any SIM, can use these local SIMs in their own phones.

You can have a phone unlocked by your mobile network provider, with their permission, or by a mobile retailer, for a fee. Then you are free to use any SIM you like with your phone. This allows you to access reduced text and call rates while overseas, paying the same mobile call and text rates that the locals pay

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<h1>What is a SIM? </h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Neo Nashville.aspx'>Neo Nashville</a> Anyone who uses a mobile phone will be aware that slotted in securely to the back of their handset is their own unique SIM card. This little card holds some unique information about the phone user, including their cell phone number, and details of their contacts. The first SIM was produced in 1991 by a card making company in Munich.

SIM actually means Subscriber Identity Module and its purpose is to identify each user on a mobile phone network using a variety of numbers and codes. These digits act as a representation of information unique to the SIM.

As the unique details of each phone user are stored on their SIM card and not their mobile, this means that a user can simply remove their SIM and transfer it to any other phone if they want to use it.

Each contact is stored as a simple name and number pair so that phone users can access the phone numbers of friends and relatives by simply scrolling through their phones rather than having to carry numbers around separately in an address book or diary. The number of contacts and messages that can be stored varies from phone to phone but nowadays most SIMs can store over 250 contacts and messages.

Many phone users will be aware that their phone is locked. This means that their phone will only work with the SIM card issued to them by their particular network. Mobile telephone handsets bought SIM-free are not locked and can be operated with any SIM, but contract phones are always locked.

This is as a means of protecting the mobile phone networks who often offer handsets that would cost hundreds of pounds SIM-free, free of charge to their contract customers. They want to make sure that the customer and their phone are locked to their network for the entirety of their contract so that the network is sure to recover the costs of subsidising the phone handset.

Nowadays it is easy to walk into almost any mobile phone store and purchase a single SIM card without a phone, in almost any country. This means that travellers, who have first paid to have their mobile phone unlocked to accept any SIM, can use these local SIMs in their own phones.

You can have a phone unlocked by your mobile network provider, with their permission, or by a mobile retailer, for a fee. Then you are free to use any SIM you like with your phone. This allows you to access reduced text and call rates while overseas, paying the same mobile call and text rates that the locals payAbout the Author: Vodafone stock a great range of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.vodafone.co.uk">phones</a> if you are looking to upgrade, or <a rel="nofollow" href="http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/sim-only-plans/all-sim-plans">sim cards</a> if you already have your phone of choice.
 Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_What-is-a-SIM_1045.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_What is a SIM? _1045.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_What is a SIM? _1045.aspx

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Vodafone stock a great range of phones if you are looking to upgrade, or sim cards if you already have your phone of choice.

Keywords : mobile, sim only,

Category : Communications : Mobile Phones

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