(U)SIM interface

March 2026 The (U)SIM interface is the connecting point of the mobile phone and the UICC with its SIM or USIM application. Standardisation of the (U)SIM interface The UICC with the SIM or USIM application plays an important role in mobile telephony as it is the secure element identifying a subscriber in the network and allowing MNOs to bill the respective account. Hence it is crucial to have standardised features e.g. placing phone calls or sending SMS working throughout the global network with all available handsets and (U)SIM cards resp. UICCs. Developing globally applicable standards for communication technologies is the task of standardisation bodies such as ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute, 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) and 3GPP2 (Third Generation Partnership Project 2). In case of the (U)SIM interface, the most important specifications are: ETSI TS 102 221 - UICC-Terminal interface; Physical and logical characteristics ETSI TS 102 221 V11.0.0 Smart Cards; UICC-Terminal interface; Physical and logical characteristics (Release 11) June 2012 European Telecommunications Standards Institute Sophia Antipolis, France https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102200_102299/102221/11.0.0_60/ts_102221v110000p.pdf Technical Specification 7 March 2026 3GPP TS 31.101 - UICC-terminal interface; Physical and logical characteristics ETSI TS 131 101 V16.0.0 (3GPP TS 31.101 version 16.0.0 Release 16) Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; 5G; UICC‑terminal interface; Physical and logical characteristics July 2020 European Telecommunications Standards Institute Sophia Antipolis, France Technical Specification https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/131100_131199/131101/16.00.00_60/ts_131101v160000p.pdf 7 March 2026 3GPP TS 31.102 - Characteristics of the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application ETSI TS 131 102 V18.7.0 (3GPP TS 31.102 version 18.7.0 Release 18) Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; 5G; Characteristics of the Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application European Telecommunications Standards Institute Sophia Antipolis, France January 2025 Technical Specification https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_TS/131100_131199/131102/18.07.00_60/ts_131102v180700p.pdf 7 March 2026 Standardisation of test scenarios To ensure that actual implementations of such standardised features are interoperable, the standardisation bodies also create so called test specifications. These document detail exact procedures on how to test that an implementation under test acts according to conformance requirements. Important test specifications for the (U)SIM interface are: ETSI TS 102 230 - Physical, electrical and logical test specification ETSI TS 102 230‑2 V17.3.0 Smart Cards; UICC‑Terminal interface; Physical, electrical and logical test specification; Part 2: UICC features (Release 17) July 2024 European Telecommunications Standards Institute Sophia Antipolis, France Technical Specification https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102200_102299/10223002/17.03.00_60/ts_10223002v170300p.pdf 7 March 2026 3GPP TS 31.121 - Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application test specification ETSI TS 131 121 V18.2.0Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); LTE; 5G; UICC‑terminal interface; Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application test specification (3GPP TS 31.121 version 18.2.0 Release 18) April 2025 European Telecommunications Standards Institute Sophia Antipolis, France Technical Specification https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/131100_131199/131121/18.02.00_60/ts_131121v180200p.pdf 7 March 2026 Type approval for mobile terminals Before mobile network operators select new handset types to be offered to their customers, they want to be sure the new handset will support all features and work in combination with new and existing UICCs. Hence, they request the manufacturers to perform those test cases defined by the standardisation bodies. Therefore, certification organisations such as the GCF (Global Certification Forum), CCF (CDMA Certification Forum) and PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board) have been founded. These organisations are associations of the leading network operators, device manufacturers and other stakeholders such as test system suppliers and test houses. They select relevant test cases and define an independent certification programme for handset type approval. References Category:Mobile telecommunications