Sagem Orga's SIMFi merges WiFi with SIM cards at long last, turns any phone into a hotspot
By Chris Ziegler 
posted February 12th 2010 12:14PM
posted February 12th 2010 12:14PM
Thought WiFi spectrum was congested now? You ain't seen nothin' yet, because SIM card provider Sagem Orga has hooked up with Telefonica to develop a marvel of modern technology called "SIMFi" that combines -- you guessed it -- WiFi with a run-of-the-mill SIM card like you'd slip in your cell. In practical terms, this means that you're able to turn virtually any phone (or "classic handsets," as the company calls them) into a WiFi hotspot accessible by authenticated laptops, MIDs, and miscellaneous wireless gadgets in the immediate vicinity. Frankly, the concept is downright brilliant in its simplicity -- never mind the fact that we had no idea you could fit WiFi circuitry into a 25 x 15 x 0.76mm footprint -- and we're excited for what this means for the future of tethering, assuming carriers can keep up with the spectrum demands. MiFis and Overdrives of the world, you're on notice. Follow the break for Sagem Orga's full release. World premier: Sagem Orga and Telefonica turn the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot
Barcelona, Mobile World Congress 2010
Smart card expert Sagem Orga (Safran group) and Telefonica, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, are enhancing mobile broadband services by offering "SIMFi," the first SIM card with integrated Wi-Fi. Using the SIM as a hotspot is expected to have the potential of becoming the next killer application.
Millions of subscribers are using netbooks and notebooks to surf the Internet while on the move, and this has become a strategic market for mobile operators. To enable Internet access, all of these mobility devices use the USIM card to authenticate the user on High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks, but there are some drawbacks that are slowing down market penetration. These include complex 3G modem and driver set-ups the user must perform, the use of accessories and cables such as USB modems, PCMCIA modems, handsets and certain software, and the complexity of service use.
By turning the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot, Sagem Orga and Telefonica have developed a solution without all these hurdles. An embedded WLAN modem in the SIM card, driven by the SIM toolkit applets running in the SIM, will enable Telefonica to broadcast High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Internet access through Wi-Fi to notebooks and netbooks. The new generation USIM card "SIMFi" can be inserted in any type of classic handset to act as a universal and interoperable HSPA/Wi-Fi router for any device.
"We strongly believe that SIMFi, with its unprecedented functionality for wireless access, will significantly improve the user experience," explained Remy Cricco, Technology Innovation Manager at Sagem Orga. "If customers can connect their notebooks to the Web anytime and anywhere by simply using what they have with them most of the time and what is the most trusted secure device – the SIM card – adoption can be expected to be enormous."
Barcelona, Mobile World Congress 2010
Smart card expert Sagem Orga (Safran group) and Telefonica, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, are enhancing mobile broadband services by offering "SIMFi," the first SIM card with integrated Wi-Fi. Using the SIM as a hotspot is expected to have the potential of becoming the next killer application.
Millions of subscribers are using netbooks and notebooks to surf the Internet while on the move, and this has become a strategic market for mobile operators. To enable Internet access, all of these mobility devices use the USIM card to authenticate the user on High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) networks, but there are some drawbacks that are slowing down market penetration. These include complex 3G modem and driver set-ups the user must perform, the use of accessories and cables such as USB modems, PCMCIA modems, handsets and certain software, and the complexity of service use.
By turning the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot, Sagem Orga and Telefonica have developed a solution without all these hurdles. An embedded WLAN modem in the SIM card, driven by the SIM toolkit applets running in the SIM, will enable Telefonica to broadcast High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) Internet access through Wi-Fi to notebooks and netbooks. The new generation USIM card "SIMFi" can be inserted in any type of classic handset to act as a universal and interoperable HSPA/Wi-Fi router for any device.
"We strongly believe that SIMFi, with its unprecedented functionality for wireless access, will significantly improve the user experience," explained Remy Cricco, Technology Innovation Manager at Sagem Orga. "If customers can connect their notebooks to the Web anytime and anywhere by simply using what they have with them most of the time and what is the most trusted secure device – the SIM card – adoption can be expected to be enormous."
and we just discovered why Apple is switching to the microsim for the ipad and likely the new iphone. To avoid tethering between the iphone and ipad
You can do this on any Android phone after rooting it without requiring any new hardware.
The wireless tether app basically turns your rooted android phone into a Mifi. The Android only works with laptops though, so I can't connect my Zune or another Android phone to my Droid via the Wireless tether app though. So if that functionality is important I could see the use for this. Otherwise if it's just for laptop use, I would rather root my phone. Rooting has become a fairly painless process with the Soles Team mod.
I fail to see the relevance of this. Anyone considering to do something like this would likely own a fairly new smartphone and they all ship with WLAN anyway. I don't know about other OS's but there is a program called Joikuspot for S60 that turns any S60 phone with WLAN into a hotspot. The company is also working on a port to Maemo.
@triplea
it would be useful to someone stuck in a contract on a phone who didn't want to shell out full price for a new one. They could open up wifi on their laptop/mini on their unlimited plan without having to buy a mobro card and contract... it's a big deal.
@triplea
We all own different kinds of phones and not everyone trades theirs in for the latest and greatest, especially if they're bound to contracts. I have a BB 9000 at the moment, something like this would be nice.
so, is this the death of bluetooth? (crappy headsets aside of course)
I call BS.
I don't know the exact specifics of the SIM cards interface, but there's no way it has the throughput to provide the data to the WiFi chip. Also, I don't think it's going to work in today's phones.
@m1lt0n That's exactly what I was wondering??
@Chris Ziegler
"Thought WiFi spectrum was congested now?"
Say whaaa? Don't you mean cell phone networks?
isn't this acting like a portable WiFi hotspot?
(LAN side WiFi, WAN side Cellular)
Well, I doubt any US operator would support widespread use of this type of SIM card. After all who needs 4 nerds on 4 netbooks suckleing on a single 3G connection simply for bragging rights (bandwidth be damed).
The statement should read:
"Thought cellular spectrum was congested now?" Or am I missing something ;^)...
No thank you. I will stick with my Novatel MiFi. I don't need another device to drain the battery on my dumb phone.
The idea sounds awesome, especially to bypass the stupid rules of the carriers around tethering. I look forward to it's development.
France Telecom had a project to use this for asset tracking rather than reviving obselete material.
Think automobile delivery schedules, where RFID is a pain and you get the idea.
Ha. Don't kid yourself. You won't bypass anything. You will pay for this service just as Verizon charges you to broadcast WiFi from the new Palm Pre Plus and HTC phones that can already do this today.
"Thought WiFi spectrum was congested now? You ain't seen nothin' yet"
Actually, the issue is more about 3G congestion than WiFi congestion...With every SIMFi device backhauling multiple WiFi-attached devices, the 3G networks will collapse under the load even faster than they are with "simple" smartphones.
Cool idea, but sharing a 3G pipe across multiple devices and dealing with cellular network congestion will cause consumers who are used to landline connected WiFi gripe.