SoftSIM is cellular connectivity without the SIM card

It is 100% software, running on your radio module instead of a card. You ship the same Onomondo connectivity, with no SIM to source, a smaller bill of materials, and one less part to fail in the field.

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How it works

0

SIM parts added to the board

100 %

Software-based, no SIM hardware

680 +

Networks across 180+ countries

What it is

The SIM, now in software

A SIM has always been a chip running code. SoftSIM keeps the code and drops the chip. It runs inside your radio module, and the modem treats it exactly like a card.

The modem sees a standard SIM, with no special requirements.
The profile is issued digitally from the Onomondo, with no physical logistics.
It is managed in the same platform as every other Onomondo SIM.

Why the Onomondo SoftSIM

What you gain when you remove the SIM

There’s more going back to your business when you take the SIM out of the equation. More margin, more budget, and more time to get back to business.

Zero SIM cost on the BOM

No card, holder, or tray. You remove a line from the bill of materials and the work of sourcing, storing, and shipping SIMs.

No SIM step in manufacturing

No SIM insertion on the line, no SIM inventory, fewer SKUs in the warehouse. One firmware image ships to every market you serve.

Smaller, tougher devices

Freeing the SIM holder shrinks the board and removes a breakable, removable part. No slot means one fewer opening in the enclosure.

Lower power in deep sleep

With no SIM chip drawing current, the SIM follows the module’s power state. That matters for battery devices using eDRX and PSM.

Gloval Coverage

Same network, same platform

SoftSIM is the most efficient way onto the Onomondo’s global network. You get the same non-steered coverage across 680+ networks in 180+ countries, same real-time visibility, same controls. The only thing that changes is what sits on the board.

View coverage

How it works

Two routes in, decided by you

Start from a module that already has SoftSIM built in, or bring SoftSIM into your own firmware with the open-source library. Same global connectivity either way.

Connectivity-ready modules

SoftSIM built into the module

Pick a supported module from from one of our integration partners with SoftSIM already in the firmware. You order the module, we provide the connectivity profile.

Choose a connectivity-ready module from the list below.
We provision your SoftSIM profile.
It connects through Onomondo like any SIM.

See supported modules

Bring it into your firmware

You control the SIM code

Integrate SoftSIM into your own build for full control and full visibility. Your team owns the firmware work and implements SoftSIM exactly how you need.

Start from the open-source library and a reference integration.
Build SoftSIM into your firmware.
Request credentials and go live.

View on GitHub

Customers

IoT businesses enabled by Onomondo

“The SoftSIM integration with Onomondo was one of the fastest things. With Onomondo, the device feels more alert – you wake it up and it’s connected and ready to go in a couple of seconds. It’s a working solution, which means it’s just a nice user experience.”

Rajesh Nakarja

Founder & Chief Engineer

Read the customer story

“The SoftSIM integration with Onomondo was one of the fastest things. With Onomondo, the device feels more alert – you wake it up and it’s connected and ready to go in a couple of seconds. It’s a working solution, which means it’s just a nice user experience.”

Rajesh Nakarja

Founder & Chief Engineer

Read the customer story

“I liked Onomondo’s tech-savvy approach to IoT connectivity. The service is built the way I’d imagined it should be built, and it seemed like a great match for our use case. The pricing model made sense, too. And it’s been very easy to work with the Onomondo team. They talk about things directly, as they are.”

Veikko Lindberg

Software Engineering Director

Read the customer story

“I liked Onomondo’s tech-savvy approach to IoT connectivity. The service is built the way I’d imagined it should be built, and it seemed like a great match for our use case. The pricing model made sense, too. And it’s been very easy to work with the Onomondo team. They talk about things directly, as they are.”

Veikko Lindberg

Software Engineering Director

Read the customer story

“With Onomondo, we can change things remotely and lower the cost of roaming. Without it, we would have stopped at ‘the container is on the ship’. Now we understand what happens inside the container.”

Ken West

Reefer Digital Development Manager

Read the customer story

“With Onomondo, we can change things remotely and lower the cost of roaming. Without it, we would have stopped at ‘the container is on the ship’. Now we understand what happens inside the container.”

Ken West

Reefer Digital Development Manager

Read the customer story

“The Insight Tools allowed us to monitor data packets live, revealing the empty payloads, enabling us to pinpoint the problem without having to travel to the locations where it occurred or make any changes to our servers.”

Scott Basgaard

Read success story

“The Insight Tools allowed us to monitor data packets live, revealing the empty payloads, enabling us to pinpoint the problem without having to travel to the locations where it occurred or make any changes to our servers.”

Scott Basgaard

Read success story

“We have a global view and we need agile vendors. Plus, our SIMs could not be vendor-locked. Onomondo fulfilled all our needs: Freedom to move? Nobody else has it.”

Thomas Pedersen

Founder & CEO

Read the customer story

“We have a global view and we need agile vendors. Plus, our SIMs could not be vendor-locked. Onomondo fulfilled all our needs: Freedom to move? Nobody else has it.”

Thomas Pedersen

Founder & CEO

Read the customer story

Supported hardware

Modules and platforms we support

Order a module with SoftSIM already in its firmware, or integrate it yourself on a supported SDK platform.

Vendor	Cellular Module	Modem/Chipset	Technology	Distribution Route
Nordic Semiconductor	nRF91 Series	SiP LTE Modem	LTE-M / NB-IoT	Open-source SDK sample — nrf-softsim
SIMCom	A7672 Series	ASR1603	LTE Cat 1	Pre-built firmware version from module vendor
SIMCom	SIM7672 Series	Qualcomm QCX216	LTE Cat 1 bis	Pre-built firmware version from module vendor
SIMCom	A7682E	ASR1601	LTE Cat 1	Pre-built firmware version from module vendor
Quectel	EG21-G / EG21-GL	Qualcomm MDM9x07	LTE Cat 1	Pre-built firmware version from module vendor
Quectel	EG25-GL	Qualcomm MDM9x07	LTE Cat 4	Pre-built firmware version from module vendor
Quectel	QuecOpen SDK for UNISOC modules: EG912U, EG915U, EC200U+	UNISOC	Varies by module	Open-source SDK

Modules with SoftSIM built into the firmware are the fastest path to production. On SDK platforms, you bring SoftSIM into your firmware from the open-source library, and the profile is flashed over UART with the SoftSIM CLI. More modules are added over time.

Open source

The only SIM software you can read

Most software SIMs are a black box you have to trust. Ours isn’t. The code that runs your device’s identity is open: read it, audit it, build on it.

It implements the same standards a physical SIM does, so you can test it like any other device.
On supported modules they’re written into the hardware key store and can’t be read back out, by us or anyone.
Plain C with no dependencies, so it fits on small, low-power modules and your team can maintain it for years.

The library is open source on GitHub under GPL-3.0, so you can audit it, fork it, and build on it. Shipping a closed product? A commercial license is available. Get in touch to figure out what makes sense.

onomondo-uicc

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/onomondo/onomondo-uicc.git
cd onomondo-uicc

# 2. Install build dependencies (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install build-essential cmake

# 3. Build the SoftSIM
cmake -S . -B build -DCONFIG_USE_SYSTEM_HEAP=y
cmake --build build

# 4. Install runtime deps (virtual smartcard reader)
sudo apt install vsmartcard-vpcd pcsc-tools

# 5. Start the SoftSIM
./src/softsim/softsim

View repository

Integration specs

How to integrate Onomondo SoftSIM

SoftSIM is software, so there is no SIM hardware to source, fail, or age. If integrating into new hardware, the details that matter are about your firmware and module.

Implementation

Open-source UICC/USIM library in portable C

Footprint

About 110 KB for the sample integration, optimizable

Provisioning

Profiles delivered encrypted via the Onomondo API, CLI tool for production lines

Licensing

If using Open Source onomondo-uicc (GPL-3.0), commercial license available

Radio technologies

2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M, and NB-IoT, depending on the module

Platform

Same SIM management, visibility, and controls as any Onomondo SIM

Same connectivity, other form factors

Part of the Onomondo SIM family

SoftSIM is one way onto our network. Every form factor shares the same coverage, visibility, and controls.

Physical SIM

One global SKU across every removable and solderable form factor, with no custom applets on the SIM. All the logic lives in the network.

Explore the global IoT SIM

Embedded SIM

Install MFF2 or plastic SIMs on your device to connect new devices without changing your manufacturing or supply chain.

Explore IoT eSIM

IoT eSIM (SGP.32)

Keep operator choice open for the life of the device with remote SIM provisioning using the GSMA SGP.32 standard.

Explore SGP.32 SIMs

FAQ

SoftSIM questions, answered

Connectivity-ready modules from SIMCom and Quectel ship with SoftSIM built into the module firmware. For SDK platforms such as Nordic nRF91, you bring SoftSIM into your own firmware using our open-source library and a maintained reference integration. Using something else? Tell us. We track demand to decide what to integrate next.

Less than you might think. On a connectivity-ready module there is no SoftSIM integration work: the vendor ships SoftSIM inside the module firmware, and you load an Onomondo profile during production. On SDK platforms like Nordic nRF91, SoftSIM imports as a module in the nRF Connect SDK with working samples, so your team configures and builds rather than writing a SIM from scratch.

An eSIM (MFF2) is still a physical chip, and an iSIM is SIM functionality built into the module’s silicon at design time. Both keep a dedicated secure hardware element, and both add remote operator switching. SoftSIM keeps neither. It runs as software on the module you already have, so there is nothing extra to add, source, or solder. If you need to switch operator on a deployed device, see the IoT eSIM page.

Yes. On supported modems, SIM selection is runtime-configurable: a single AT command switches between SoftSIM and the physical SIM slot. Teams use that to ship both during a rollout and de-risk the move.

On the nRF91 sample integration, around 110 KB of flash plus a heap pool of about 30 KB, and both are optimisable. The SIM runs as software on the module you already have, so there is no extra component to add.

On a supported module you can ship SoftSIM on new builds, and on modems that allow runtime SIM selection you can keep a physical SIM in place and switch over as you roll out. Tell us your hardware and rollout plan and we will map the route with you.

Yes. SoftSIM runs in production devices today, on connectivity-ready modules. Tell us your hardware and we will point you to the right route.

Get started

Ready to remove the SIM card?

Whether you are on a connectivity-ready module or building your own integration, we will help you get from evaluation to production.

Talk to us

View on Github

Product

Industries

Resources

Pricing

SoftSIM is cellular connectivity without the SIM card

0

100 %

680 +

The SIM, now in software

What you gain when you remove the SIM

Zero SIM cost on the BOM

No SIM step in manufacturing

Smaller, tougher devices

Lower power in deep sleep

Same network, same platform

Two routes in, decided by you

SoftSIM built into the module

You control the SIM code

IoT businesses enabled by Onomondo

Rajesh Nakarja

“The SoftSIM integration with Onomondo was one of the fastest things. With Onomondo, the device feels more alert – you wake it up and it’s connected and ready to go in a couple of seconds. It’s a working solution, which means it’s just a nice user experience.”

Rajesh Nakarja

Veikko Lindberg

Veikko Lindberg

Ken West

“With Onomondo, we can change things remotely and lower the cost of roaming. Without it, we would have stopped at ‘the container is on the ship’. Now we understand what happens inside the container.”

Ken West

“The Insight Tools allowed us to monitor data packets live, revealing the empty payloads, enabling us to pinpoint the problem without having to travel to the locations where it occurred or make any changes to our servers.”

Thomas Pedersen

“We have a global view and we need agile vendors. Plus, our SIMs could not be vendor-locked. Onomondo fulfilled all our needs: Freedom to move? Nobody else has it.”

Thomas Pedersen

Modules and platforms we support

The only SIM software you can read

How to integrate Onomondo SoftSIM

Part of the Onomondo SIM family

Physical SIM

Embedded SIM

IoT eSIM (SGP.32)

SoftSIM questions, answered

Ready to remove the SIM card?

Product

Industries

Resources

Pricing

SoftSIM is cellular connectivity without the SIM card

0

100 %

680 +

The SIM, now in software

What you gain when you remove the SIM

Zero SIM cost on the BOM

No SIM step in manufacturing

Smaller, tougher devices

Lower power in deep sleep

Same network, same platform

Two routes in, decided by you

SoftSIM built into the module

You control the SIM code

IoT businesses enabled by Onomondo

Rajesh Nakarja

“The SoftSIM integration with Onomondo was one of the fastest things. With Onomondo, the device feels more alert – you wake it up and it’s connected and ready to go in a couple of seconds. It’s a working solution, which means it’s just a nice user experience.”

Rajesh Nakarja

Veikko Lindberg

Veikko Lindberg

Ken West

“With Onomondo, we can change things remotely and lower the cost of roaming. Without it, we would have stopped at ‘the container is on the ship’. Now we understand what happens inside the container.”

Ken West

“The Insight Tools allowed us to monitor data packets live, revealing the empty payloads, enabling us to pinpoint the problem without having to travel to the locations where it occurred or make any changes to our servers.”

Thomas Pedersen

“We have a global view and we need agile vendors. Plus, our SIMs could not be vendor-locked. Onomondo fulfilled all our needs: Freedom to move? Nobody else has it.”

Thomas Pedersen

Modules and platforms we support

The only SIM software you can read

How to integrate Onomondo SoftSIM

Part of the Onomondo SIM family

Physical SIM

Embedded SIM

IoT eSIM (SGP.32)

SoftSIM questions, answered

Which modules and platforms are supported?

Do I need to write firmware?

How is SoftSIM different from an eSIM or iSIM?

Can I still use a physical SIM alongside SoftSIM?

What is the footprint on my module?

Can I migrate an existing device or fleet to SoftSIM?

Is SoftSIM production-ready?

Ready to remove the SIM card?