SIM

TCA’s new guidance addresses emerging interoperability considerations presented by the growing adoption of eSIM technology. It provides an analysis of key recent Java Card technology updates, along with the impact of broader ecosystem developments from 3GPP, ETSI and GSMA. A series of best practices and security recommendations are also detailed to maximise interoperability and ensure applet assets are sufficiently protected. For developers seeking practical guidance, recommendations are collated into a comprehensive ‘interoperability checklist’ to help address common challenges and deliver high-quality applets.

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The new TCALoader tool enables mobile operators and application developers to download, install and manage applications on the UICC / eUICC to test interoperability across different deployments. This supports increasing industry demand for the delivery of various services through eSIM technology. The TCALoader is an evolution of the CAT Loader tool. This was first released by SIMalliance in 2007 (which became the TCA in 2020) and has been widely used by mobile operators and application developers to test and implement new services. The TCALoader introduces enhanced features to support different SIM form factors such as eSIM and integrated SIM, meet latest industry standards, support new protocols and increase security.

This document makes it easier for mobile network operators (MNOs), service and solution providers to deploy Mobile Connect services which use an authentication application provisioned on the user’s SIM card.

The Open Mobile API (OMAPI) Specification defines how mobile applications may access different secure elements (SEs), including the UICC and embedded secure elements (eSEs) in a mobile device. Ownership of the OMAPI Specification has been transferred to GlobalPlatform.

This document defines recommendations for UICC configuration and feature requirements in mobile near field communication (NFC) payments. The aim of this document is to provide guidelines that support service providers, mobile network operators (MNOs), manufacturers and implementers of mobile NFC payment services, by facilitating system integration, simplifying interoperability and reducing market fragmentation.

The CAT Loader 2.0 enables network operators and service developers to manage ETSI toolkit applications compliant with the latest release using the high-speed CAT-TP protocol, and allows users to download and install applications on the SIM card, as well as analyse card content and remove applications.

Note that CATLoader 2.0 is deprecated and is replaced by TCALoader.