Editing Universal integrated circuit card

{{short description|Smart card used to uniquely identify a mobile device on a cellular network}}
{{see also |SIM card |eUICC |eSIM}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2009}}
[[file:Sim card.png|thumb|A [[smart card]] taken from a [[Global System for Mobile Communications|GSM]] mobile phone]]
[[file:SIM-DXAI20210313172217.jpg|thumb|alt=Black and white image of the contacts area of a SIM card showing the internal construction|X-Ray of a SIM card showing small rectangular semiconductor chip (central small rectangle) and five bond wires leading to the connection pads. This can also be seen by peeling off the UICC from an old credit or debit card, as those are single-sided.]]
[[file:Vodafone New Zealand SIM circa 2002.jpeg|thumb|A 25 × 15 mm [[Vodafone New Zealand]] SIM card]]

The '''universal integrated circuit card''' ('''UICC''') is the physical [[smart card]] ([[integrated circuit]] card) used in [[mobile terminal]]s in 2G ([[Global System for Mobile Communications|GSM]]), 3G ([[Universal Mobile Telecommunications System|UMTS]]), 4G ([[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]]), and [[5G]] networks. The UICC ensures the integrity and security of all kinds of personal data, and it typically holds a few hundred kilobytes.<ref name=szasif2011>{{cite book|last=Asif|first=Saad Z.|title=Next Generation Mobile Communications Ecosystem|year=2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1119995814|pages=306}}</ref>

The official definition for UICC is found in [[ETSI]] TR 102 216, where it is defined as a "[[smart card]] that conforms to the specifications written and maintained by the ETSI Smart Card Platform project". In addition, the definition has a note that states that "UICC is neither an abbreviation nor an acronym".<ref name="Smart cards; Vocabulary for Smart Card Platform specifications">{{cite web|title=ETSI TR 102 216|url=http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_tr/102200_102299/102216/03.00.00_60/tr_102216v030000p.pdf|access-date=25 June 2014}}</ref>

NIST SP 800-101 Rev. 1 and NIST Computer Security Resource Center Glossary state that, "A UICC may be referred to as a SIM, USIM, RUIM or CSIM, and is used interchangeably with those terms",<ref>{{cite journal
 |url=https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-101r1
 |title=NIST SP 800-101 Rev. 1
 |website=nist.gov
 |year=2014
 |publisher=National Information Technology Laboratory
|doi=10.6028/NIST.SP.800-101r1
 |last1=Ayers
 |first1=Rick
 |last2=Brothers
 |first2=Sam
 |last3=Jansen
 |first3=Wayne
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url=https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/universal_integrated_circuit_card
 |title=Universal Integrated Circuit Card
 |website=NIST CRISC Glossary
 |publisher=NIST
 |access-date=14 Sep 2022
}}</ref> though this is an over-simplification. The primary component of a UICC is a [[SIM card]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}

== Design ==
A UICC consists of a [[Central processing unit|CPU]], [[Read-only memory|ROM]], [[Random access memory|RAM]], [[EEPROM]] and [[Input/output|I/O]] circuits. Early versions consisted of the whole full-size (85 × 54&nbsp;mm, [[ISO/IEC 7810]] ID-1) smart card. Soon the race for smaller telephones called for a smaller version of the card. The card was cropped down to 25 × 15&nbsp;mm (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-000), as illustrated.

== 2G versus 3G ==

In 2G networks, the SIM card and SIM application were bound together, so that "SIM card" could mean the physical card, or any physical card with the SIM application.

In a [[GSM]] network, the UICC contains a SIM application and in a [[UMTS]] network, it contains a [[SIM card|USIM]] application. A UICC may contain several applications, making it possible for the same smart card to give access to both GSM and UMTS networks, and also provide storage of a phone book and other applications. It is also possible to access a GSM network using a USIM application and it is possible to access UMTS networks using a SIM application with mobile terminals prepared for this. With the UMTS release 5 a new application, the IP multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM) is required for services in the [[IP Multimedia Subsystem|IMS]]. The telephone book is a separate application and not part of either subscriber identity module.

In a [[cdmaOne]]/[[CDMA2000]] ("CDMA") network, the UICC contains a [[CDMA subscriber identity module|CSIM]] application, in addition to 3GPP USIM and SIM applications.  A card with all 3 features is called a removable user identity card, or  [[RUIM|R-UIM]].  Thus, the R-UIM card can be inserted into CDMA, GSM, or UMTS handsets, and will work in all three cases.

In 3G networks, it is a mistake to speak of a USIM, CSIM, or SIM card, as all three are applications running on a UICC card.

== Usage ==

Since the card slot is standardized, a subscriber can easily move their wireless account and phone number from one handset to another. This will also transfer their phone book and text messages. Similarly, usually a subscriber can change carriers by inserting a new carrier's UICC card into their existing handset. However, it is not always possible because some carriers (e.g., in U.S.) ''[[SIM lock|SIM-lock]]'' the phones that they sell, preventing rival carriers' cards from being used.

The use and content of the card can be protected by use of [[Personal identification number|PIN]] codes. One code, PIN1, can be defined to control normal use of the phone. Another code, PIN2, can be set, to allow the use of special functions (like [[Fixed Dialing Number|limiting outbound telephone calls to a list of numbers]]). [[Personal unblocking code|PUK1]] and PUK2 is used to reset PIN1 and PIN2 respectively.

The integration of the ETSI framework and the Application management framework of [[GlobalPlatform]] is standardized in the UICC configuration.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ericsson|first=Daniel|title=The OTA Platform in the World of LTE|url=http://www.carabinerpr.com/pdf/WP_OTA_and_LTE_Jan_11.pdf|website=carabinerpr.com|publisher=Giesecke & Devrient|access-date=5 January 2013|date=January 2011}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Semiconductor packages}}

[[Category:3GPP standards]]
[[Category:Chip carriers]]