Verizon patented blockchain-based system for issuing virtual SIM cards

Verizon, an American telecommunications conglomerate, has patented the concept of using blockchain to create virtual SIM cards (vSIM).

The patent application describes the technology for creating a virtual SIM card, the encryption of which will be based on the blockchain. Thanks to vSIM, users get rid of the need to purchase physical SIM cards.

The mobile device is registered on the network, after which a user account is created on which the virtual SIM card will be stored. Then, a record is created in the blockchain, which includes the vSIM certificate and the international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI). After that, the certificate is attached to the user account and can be activated on the client’s mobile device.

The blockchain will help to avoid falsification or alteration of records about virtual SIM cards, as well as ensure efficiency and speed. At the same time, vSIM can be used on many devices that are tied to one user account. Also, a virtual SIM card can be transferred to another user.

“In one implementation, users will be able to accept new vSIM certificates on their accounts, move them between devices tied to the account, or provide them to other users,” the patent application says.

One of the applications of the technology may be its use in a corporate environment. For example, a company buys a pool of virtual SIM cards and distributes them among employees, and in case of dismissal, it simply withdraws the certificate and issues it to another user. At the same time, employees no longer need to return a physical SIM card.

Earlier it was reported that Verizon has opened 35 vacancies for blockchain developers. It is likely that some of these employees worked on a blockchain system for virtual SIM cards.