PETALING JAYA: The subscriber identification module (SIM) card, a tiny piece of plastic with a circuit board embedded on it, may soon disappear from your smartphone altogether.
Now its digital incarnation, known as embedded SIM or simply eSIM, is gaining popularity in Malaysia. With an eSIM, a smartphone user no longer has to purchase the physical version to gain access to a mobile network service. All he has to do is register for a line through the eSIM app.
Adoption of the eSIM is expected to record a compound annual growth rate of 30% in the next five years.
For 10T Tech CEO Fredric Liljeströem, this is good news. “The growth rate projections for Malaysia is about the same as that of its regional neighbours,” he told FMT Business.
Citing data from Counterpoint Research, he said Southeast Asia accounts for roughly 6% to 7% of the global consumer eSIM market. “Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the biggest markets for eSIM-based smartphones in the region,” he said.