Subscriber Identification Module SIM Card

ESIM (Embedded SIM)

Main articleElectronic SIM card

2024

Fines may be imposed on foreigners for violating the rules for selling SIM cards

The Ministry of Digital Development of Russia proposed to amend the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, adding administrative responsibility there for violating the new rules for the sale of SIM cards to foreign subscribers. The draft federal law is posted on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts. This was announced on May 3, 2024 by the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin.

Liability can be introduced both for the operators themselves and for persons acting on their behalf. So, for legal entities, the fine can be 1-2 million rubles, for officials - from 100 thousand to 200 thousand rubles.

The draft law provides for the addition of Article 13.29 of the Administrative Code, part 6, which introduces the administrative responsibility of telecom operators or persons acting on behalf of a telecom operator for violating the requirements for the provision of mobile radiotelephone services by foreign citizens and stateless persons. Thus, the provisions of the bill are aimed at ensuring compliance with the procedure for the provision of mobile radiotelephone services by foreign citizens and stateless persons and comply with the projected norms of sectoral legislation, - indicated in the explanatory note to the draft.

It is proposed to empower the officials of Roskomnadzor to draw up protocols and consider cases of administrative offenses provided for by the projected part 6 of article 13.29 of the Administrative Code, the Ministry of Digital Development also indicated.

Earlier, Ministry of Digital Development developed amendments to the laws "On Communications" (126-FZ) and on biometrics (572-FZ), which tighten the turnover and conditions for using SIM cards for foreigners. In particular, they will be able to receive communication services only after passing biometrics and registration in the Unified Biometric System. In addition, foreign citizens will be able to buy SIM cards only in official communication salons or points of sale, but not via the Internet, and more than ten numbers should not be registered per person.

The contract will also specify a unique international identifier, or IMEI, that is needed for the device into which the SIM card will be inserted. If the card is inserted into another device, the operators will disconnect the subscriber. It will also be possible to re-issue the code at the operator's office.

Establishing administrative responsibility simultaneously with the introduction of additional mandatory requirements looks like a logical step from the point of view of public safety and the suppression of offenses that are often associated with the illegal use of SIM cards, said Anton Nemkin.

Unfortunately, as practice shows, the preventive nature of new measures often makes it possible to evade their implementation - all the same, punishment will not follow. In this case, this cannot be allowed in any way due to the fact that the safety of our citizens directly depends on this. It is necessary to comprehensively fight the market of "gray" SIM cards in order to fully achieve its eradication in our country, - said the deputy.

Users will be able to see data on all their SIM cards on "Public services"

Ministry of Digital Development of Russia prepared a bill on placement in personal accounts portal of public services data on SIM cards registered with citizens. Thanks to this, users will be able to see everything information about those phone numbers that are issued for their passport numbers. data This was announced on May 2, 2024 by the press service of the deputy. State Duma of the Russian Federation Anton Nemkin

According to the bill, information about all SIM cards registered to a person will be displayed in the citizen's account on the portal. At the same time, numbers that he does not actually use or did not issue can be immediately disabled.

Also, when issuing a new number, the telecom operator will send an SMS message and notify the subscriber through his personal account.

As the Minister of Digital Development of the Russian Federation Maksut Shadayev said earlier, the main share of the "gray" SIM card market for May 2024 is those cards that were issued for people who do not even know about it.

The problem of "gray" SIM cards has been discussed for a long time, and in 2021 a law came into force that aims to combat their spread. It obliges telecom operators to identify to users of corporate SIM cards. Without confirming the identity of the person using the number, the operator must stop servicing it. Operators must monitor compliance with this norm Roskomnadzor using a special monitoring information network.

In particular, a special system was created, to which all operators providing mobile services are connected. It provides verification of the data received from the telecom operator about subscribers by the accounting systems [Ministry of Internal Affairs], the Federal Tax Service and the ESIA. At the beginning of 2024, the department reported on the identification of more than 900 subscribers from telecom operators, for each of which more than a thousand SIM cards were issued, and the total number of numbers they owned amounted to 6.6 million. Yes, in May 2024, there are no restrictions on the number of SIM cards that can be purchased for one passport in our country, but the situation when a large number of SIM cards are issued for one person may indicate violations of the established card processing process or fraud. First of all, this makes it problematic to determine the culprit in the event of illegal actions, so the ability for everyone to independently track the number of SIM cards issued for him is an excellent tool in the fight against the same telephone fraudsters who continue to persistently attack citizens, "the deputy said.

In addition, some citizens themselves do not remember where and when they issued SIM cards for themselves, which they later did not use, and information about them may pop up at the most inopportune moment.

Foreigners will be obliged to hand over biometrics to buy Russian SIM-cards

On April 11, 2024, it became known that the Ministry of Digital Development had prepared a bill according to which foreigners will be able to purchase SIM-cards of Russian operators only if they have registration on the Public services portal using biometrics and when visiting communication salons personally. This requirement applies, among other things, to labor migrants and stateless persons.

The newspaper "" told about the new initiative. Sheets The bill developed in the Ministry of Digital Development is aimed at coordination in, MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS,, FSB, and Roskomnadzor. MFA FAS Ministry of Economic Development The proposed rules are expected to help combat "gray" SIM cards and fraud. At the same time, the requirements will not affect diplomats, representatives of international organizations and refugees.

Foreigners will be able to purchase SIM-cards of Russian operators only if they have registration on the Public services portal using biometrics

The Ministry of Digital Development notes that often employees of sales salons of cellular operators face difficulties in identifying foreigners. In particular, difficulties arise when checking documents for forgery. The new rules provide that foreigners will be identified when concluding an agreement, according to data from the Unified Biometric System (EBS). In turn, foreigners will have to provide face photos and voice recordings to register with the EBS.

The bill also provides that contracts concluded by mobile operators with foreigners before the entry into force of the rules should be updated by March 1, 2025. If this does not happen, the service of non-registered numbers must be stopped. Plus, operators will have to include the international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI) in the new agreements on the provision of communication services with foreigners. However, this requirement, according to some experts, is redundant.

IMEI control is difficult primarily for subscribers. This measure did not justify itself in any of the countries of the world that tried to implement this requirement, - said a Vedomosti source close to one of the operators of the big four.[1]

Russian SIM cards from the domestic OS came out

At the end of March 2024, the Russian company Novakard released SIM cards with the domestic operating system Simart Mi on the market. The first such SIM cards began to be purchased by the mobile operator MTS. Read more here.

2023

The number of "gray" SIM-cards in Russia for the year decreased 19 times

The number of "gray" SIM-cards in Russia in 2023 decreased almost 19 times: during this period, about 4 thousand SIM cards were withdrawn from illegal circulation, then in 2022 there were about 74 thousand pieces. This is evidenced by the data of Roskomnadzor, published at the end of March 2024.

As Izvestia writes with reference to the department's materials, most of the SIM cards seized in Russia in 2023 belonged to MegaFon - more than 1,200 pieces. More than 1 thousand "gray" "SIM cards" Tele2 were also seized, 800 each - MTS and VimpelCom. Most of the seizures at the end of 2023 were recorded in St. Petersburg (763 units), the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (715) and the Krasnoyarsk Territory (642), according to Roskomnadzor.

The number of "gray" SIM-cards in Russia in 2023 decreased almost 19 times

According to the service, in 2023, a total of 317 protocols for 1.29 million rubles. fines. And in January-March 2024, Roskomnadzor and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation carried out 126 measures to curb the illegal distribution of SIM-cards, 232 cards were seized.

According to the Content-Review project manager Sergei Polovnikov, the drop in the turnover of "gray" SIM cards is primarily a result of the fact that operators were obliged to verify users of already purchased and used cards. At the same time, operators are not able to fully control all their dealers. There is also the problem of re-selling numbers previously seen in illegal activities.

The numbers used by the attackers end up in all kinds of blacklists. After they cease to be used, they return to the camera pool, and then they are sold again to unsuspecting citizens. And with such an illuminated number, it is impossible to register in Telegram, you cannot get through a lot and the like, - said Polovnikov in a conversation with the publication.[2]

Roskomnadzor revealed violations in the data of the owners of 43 million SIM cards

Roskomnadzor declared violations data in the owners of at least 43 million SIM cards, which the department revealed in 2023. This was announced on January 15, 2024 by the press service State Duma of the Russian Federation Anton Nemkin of the deputy with reference to "."Sheets

The regulator's database contains information about more than 351 million numbers. At the same time, telecom operators blocked about 600 thousand numbers with incorrectly issued SIM cards during the period from September to December 2023 after identifying the facts of violations. Cellular operators promptly updated information about their owners on 42 million SIM cards.

According to Roskomnadzor, telecom operators continue to "carry out work to verify information and update subscriber databases," aimed at preventing violations in the field of distribution of SIM cards without the mandatory requirement of identifying the identity of the buyer.

Since the entry into force of Law No. 319-FZ, operators have been given time to update databases - from January to August 2023, they connected to the system, the ILV said. Telecom operators continue to carry out work on verification of information and updating subscriber databases. On average, about 3.1 million subscriber records are adjusted per week. Connecting operators and checking data in the system continue, the department added.

For a long time, a high share of "gray" SIM cards was recorded in Russia, said Anton Nemkin.

Such SIM cards, as a rule, were used to carry out illegal activities, including fraudulent ones. For example, many citizens faced a situation of free "distribution" of SIM cards of various operators on the street. In the future, such SIM cards were used, among other things, to steal user information. In addition, situations are common in which unofficially purchased SIM cards were registered for several persons at once, which multiply increased the risk of personal data leakage. Of course, there was also a high share of citizens who acquired such SIM cards out of ignorance - that is why telecom operators were given a transitional period to ensure the updating of data, the deputy said.

Let me remind you that, according to the amendments made, telecom operators will be required to turn off SIM cards in the absence of their identification. Therefore, citizens who have not yet provided their data to telecom operators should hurry up, the deputy recommended.

Roskomnadzor began to block SIM cards with irrelevant data

Roskomnadzor began blocking SIM cards with irrelevant data, which became known on August 7, 2023. Read more here.

GLONASS began selling SIM-cards of secure communication with the largest coverage

JSC GLONASS"" began to sell SIM cards with support for secure cellular communications for civil servants, which will have the largest coverage in the territory. Russia The CEO of the company Alexey Raikevich spoke about this in mid-May 2023. More. here

2022

Roskomnadzor: 156 thousand illegally distributed SIM cards seized during the year

The Federal Service for Supervision in the Field of Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) in 2022 seized about 156 thousand illegally distributed SIM-cards against 90 thousand pieces a year earlier. Such data are presented in the report on the work of the department. The document was published at the end of August 2023. Read more here.

Putin imposed fines for illegal sale of SIM cards

At the end of December 2022, the president Russia Vladimir Putin signed a law aimed at strengthening responsibility for the illegal distribution of SIM cards. According to the document, if a telecom operator concludes an agreement on the provision of services Internet in a way that is not provided for by law, the fine for citizens will be from 30 to 50 thousand, rubles for legal entities - from 300 thousand to 500 thousand rubles. More. here

Russian operators began to charge fees for SIM cards

In June 2022, Russian mobile operators began charging SIM card fees when concluding a subscription service contract. So, "," and MegaFon Yota "" VimpelCom the size of the board is 50. rubles

According to Kommersant, MTS will switch to paid SIM cards from June 24, 2022, Tele2 - from August 1. One of the newspaper's sources clarifies that MTS has already introduced a fee for SIM cards in a number of regions of the country.

As explained in MegaFon, the amount will be debited from the down payment to activate the number when a new subscriber is connected. VimpelCom also noted that the connection fee is included in the cost of the starting balance. Yota noted that in the future it is possible to reduce the fee for a SIM card, and under favorable conditions, the connection may even become free again.

Mobile operators explained that the changes in pricing policy are due to an increase in the company's costs of providing services and maintaining a high quality of communication. According to the publication, the cost of SIM-cards for operators increased 3.5 times due to the refusal to purchase from Western manufacturers. As the experts interviewed by the newspaper noted, the cost of a SIM card for the operator by June 2022 is about €0.8. The expert recalled that the operators had previously taken the cost of the SIM card for themselves - they expected to recoup the costs during the long-term provision of services to the subscriber.

According to MForum analyst Aleksei Boyko, until February 24, 2022, Russian operators preferred to purchase SIM cards from major global vendors, including European Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, etc. Given the mass production, their price was relatively low. Having lost the opportunity to buy products from European manufacturers, operators were forced to focus on more expensive products of Asian vendors, the expert added.^[3]

80% of SIM card holders who left Russia since February 24 returned to the country

Almost 80% of SIM card holders who left Russia after February 24 returned to the back. This was announced on May 17, 2022 by the Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the RFMaksut Shadayev.

According to him, at the end of last week, the Russian Ministry of Digital Development received an analysis of telecom operators on SIM-cards: how many left and how many of them returned since the start of the special operation in Ukraine.

"The Zyfras encouraging. About 80% of SIM cards that left on February 24 returned to the country. IT specialists make up a significant part of this audience, "Shadayev added.

2021

The Ministry of Digital Development will oblige telecom operators to open free access to public services to activate SIM-cards

In mid-August 2021, it became known about a new way to protect SIM cards from fraudsters, which is preparing to introduce Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation. The essence of this method is to provide access to the portal of public services before activating the SIM card.

This is necessary for cases when the user does not have his own means of communication, and he needs to activate the sim-card, having only corporate communication, the Russian Information Agency in the Ministry of Digital Development told TASS.

This method will confirm the identity of the owner of the SIM card, if he cannot otherwise confirm his identity through the ESIA. After confirming information about yourself and checking them by the operator, communication services and Internet access without restrictions will become available to the citizen. Thus, VimpelCom, MTS, MegaFon and Tele2 will have to open free access to public services to activate SIM cards.

The Ministry of Digital Development added that by August 2021, Russians who use corporate SIM cards registered with other people's passports become victims of fraudsters.

The Ministry of Digital Development is consistently working to reduce cases of fraud using corporate cards, the ministry told the agency.

They also explained that according to the law adopted at the end of 2020, corporate SIM-cards, the authenticity of the owners of which has not been confirmed using ESIA, will not function until such confirmation.

From June 1, 2021, information about all corporate numbers must be entered into a special register on the public services portal. Companies and individual entrepreneurs must submit data on the corporate numbers used to the portal, and employees must confirm their data. You can do this in two ways: respond to the operator's request in your personal account or transfer the information yourself.^[4]

The release of the first SIM-cards with Russian encryption has begun

At the end of May 2021, Voentelecom began supplying the first SIM cards with Russian encryption. The telecommunications operator implements this project together with IDX, which is responsible for the development of services based on a trusted "SIM card, such as a qualified electronic signature, autocomplete (stores personal data in a secure area and, with the consent of the user, uses it to fill out various forms, including bank and online stores), generation of one-time passwords. Read more here.

2020

The State Duma adopted a law on the fight against "gray" SIM-cards

The State Duma adopted in the third, final reading a law on the mandatory identification of owners of corporate SIM-cards by telecom operators and on the remote conclusion of agreements on the provision of communication services. This became known on December 23, 2020. The document (N1058353-7) obliges telecom operators to identify users of corporate mobile networks to combat "gray" SIM-cards from which anonymous calls can be made - according to the proposed standards, without confirming the identity of the person using the number, the operator will be obliged to stop servicing it.

Roskomnadzor Operators must monitor compliance with this obligation using a special monitoring information network. In addition, the law provides for the possibility of remote conclusion of contracts for the provision of communication services with operators using simple, electronic signature while user identification must take place using the Unified Identification System and () authentications UIAS or. Unified biometric system

Also, the conclusion and termination of the contract with the operator will be possible with the help of one enhanced qualified electronic signature. Including in this way it will be possible to activate built-in SIM-cards. Also, the adopted amendments allow citizens to "bind" a unique device identifier (IMEI) to an ESIA account. As conceived by the authors of the initiative, if the phone is lost, its owner will be able to contact Roskomnadzor for further blocking the device by telecom operators. The bill was submitted to the State Duma on November 18 by the deputy chairman of the committee on information policy, information technology and communications Maxim Kudryavtsev, the ^[5].

"Russian SIM cards" allow you to fake any number

On August 13, 2020, information appeared that cybercriminals adopted the so-called "Russian," "encrypted," or "white," SIM cards that allow them to change phone numbers and distort the caller's voice. This was reported to Motherboard by an anonymous owner of a site selling such SIM cards.

According to the seller, the SIM cards offered by him allow you to fake any number at will, and for each call you can set a separate number (in this case, the interlocutor will not be able to add the caller to the black list). For example, with their help, fraudsters can make it look like they are calling from a bank phone number, or simply generate an arbitrary set of numbers so that the interlocutor cannot determine the real number of the caller. Setting up such a SIM card takes seconds, and instructions are available online.

"Russian SIM cards" differ in quality and functionality. In addition to "spoofing" (from the English spoof - hoax, a type of attack based on falsification of transmitted spoofing data^[6]telephone numbers, some of them also allow you to change your voice during a conversation, for example, make it lower and more pectoral or, conversely, high and screeching. Some maps have a greater advantage, as they are "international" and provide unlimited data.

You can buy a "Russian SIM card" anonymously, without providing any data about yourself, paying with bitcoins. According to one Motherboard source, "these are the most popular SIM cards in the underworld." The so-called encrypted mobile devices are very popular among criminals - customized smartphones, in which the camera, microphone and GPS have been removed. Often, manufacturers of such devices, together with a smartphone, offer their customers a "Russian SIM card."^[7]

2019

Falling sales of physical SIM cards in the Russian Federation

According to the analytical company AC&M, in 2019, 98 million SIM-cards were sold in Russia against 97 million units a year earlier. Despite the slight growth, there has been a multi-year downward trend in the market. So, in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the sale of SIM cards was measured at 128, 117 and 100 million units, respectively.

Experts attribute the decline in sales to the fact that operators refuse to actively promote new connections. This requires high costs, and "inflating" the subscriber base does not bring the desired revenue. In addition, the tightening of the rules for the sale of SIM cards and the reduction of the gray market affect.

The largest manufacturers of physical SIM cards include such foreign companies as Gemalto, Giesecke + Devrient, GigSky , Idemia. Exact data on their sales in Russia were not disclosed.

Managing partner of AC&M Mikhail Alekseev, in a conversation with Kommersant, said that by the end of 2019 in Russia there were about 63 thousand points of sale of SIM-cards in the Russian Federation.

Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin estimates the volume of SIM-card sales at 160 million units at the end of 2019 and includes in his calculation the sale of products for the Internet of Things.

The publication, citing a source in the communications market, writes that in 2020, operators reduce purchases of physical SIM cards for two main reasons:

• launch of eSIM electronic SIM technology;
• active promotion of personal account applications by operators, since companies intend to transfer most of the operations to a remote format and reduce the use of salons.

VimpelCom " The newspaper was told that, first of all, it was self-isolation in connection COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic with and related restrictions "aggravated the need for operators to develop distational forms of customer service."^[8]

Withdrawal of 56.5 thousand "se­rykh" SIM-cards

Following the results of 2019 Roskomnadzor seized 56.5 thousand "gray" SIM cards of mobile operators. Of these, 96% bo­leye prish­lis on bol­shuyu chet­verku. This became known on January 22, 2020. In most cases violations are connected with sale of SIM cards without signing of the contract and presentation of the passport.

Roskomnadzor notes that the number of "gray" SIM-cards decreases from year to year. The agency conducts more inspections and detects fewer violations.

Шаблон:Quote 'author = said representative of Roskomnadzor' This is facilitated by both control and supervisory measures and preventive forms of work with the population: seminars, online conferences, social advertising,

In 2017, the regulator seized over 106.5 thousand. SIM-cards, in 2018 - more than 83.7 thousand, in 2019 - 56.5 thousand. On the Internet, Roskomnadzor in 2019 revealed 618 signs of violations, in 2018 - 1164.

{{quote 'Gray' SIM cards complicate interaction with subscribers and carry great risks for the company, - says the representative of PJSC "" VimpelCom(brand Beeline""). }}

Operators are trying to eradicate "gray" SIM cards with penalties for dealers, and some terminate contracts with sellers.

There are dealers and corporate clients who transfer the received SIM cards to third parties, violating contracts with the operator. Such SIM cards are blocked by us, and contractual relations with such companies are terminated, said Mikhail Ivonin, press secretary of MegaFon PJSC

According to the press secretary of Tele2 Daria Kolesnikova, the number of "gray" SIM-cards has significantly decreased after the entry into force of amendments to the Federal Law "On Communications." According to the amendments, telecom operators are obliged to check the accuracy of information about the subscriber. If the data cannot be confirmed, then the operator must stop serving the Gray client^[9].

Sales of "super-SIM-cards" began

At the end of December 2019, Chinese companies China Unicom and Guoxin Micro introduced the Super. SIM cards 5G They differ from the usual SIM cards in the increased amount of internal memory (up to 32, 64 and 128 GB), so that they can store photos, videos and other personal files to expand memory. smartphone Depending on the amount of memory, the price of new SIM cards varies from 150 yuan for 32 GB (about 1300) to rubles 550 yuan for 128 GB (5500 rubles). More. here

State Duma proposal to create a single database of all SIM-cards

On December 20, 2019, it became known that the State Duma proposed to Roskomnadzor to conduct a census of cellular subscribers in the country and create a single database of all SIM-cards.

In a letter from State Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Boris Chernyshov, the head of Roskomnadzor, Alexander Zharov, is invited to consider three initiatives aimed at reducing the number of gray SIM cards, which include the launch of a federal aggregator platform to confirm information about the number of registered SIM cards from individuals and companies, conducting an all-Russian inventory of issued and existing cards, as well as strengthening counteraction to the criminal circulation of SIM card data on the darknet.

As the deputy explained, the distribution of gray SIM-cards in the country raises serious concerns, since criminals often issue them to law-abiding users without their knowledge. And if the confidential data of such a subscriber are used during malicious campaigns, a respectable citizen risks becoming a defendant in a serious criminal case.

According to Roskomnadzor, for 11 months of 2019, more than 54 thousand gray SIM-cards were seized, and in 2018 their number was 77.3 thousand. Most often, crimes were associated with the sale of SIM-cards without concluding an agreement and presenting an identity document to the buyer, as well as with the conclusion of an agreement on the provision of services on behalf of a telecom operator by an unauthorized person^[10].

Detect a WIBattack that can track users' devices

On September 30, 2019, it became known that a team of researchers from Ginno Security Labs discovered and analyzed an attack carried out using SMS messages, which allows attackers to track users' devices using little-known applications running on SIM cards. This attack, called WIBattack, is identical to the Simjacker attack, which researchers from AdaptiveMobile discovered in early September 2019.

Both attacks work on the same principle and provide access to the execution of the same commands, but are designed for different applications running on SIM cards.

If the Simjacker vulnerability affected the S @ T Browser application, then WIBattack affects the Wireless Internet Browser (WIB). Applications are Java applets that mobile operators install on SIM cards provided to customers. These applications provide the ability to remotely manage your device and mobile subscriptions.

Attackers can send so-called OTA SMS messages that will execute STK (SIM Toolkit) instructions on SIM cards with security features disabled. As in the case of S @ T, with the help of commands supported in WIB, you can data get geolocation, make a call, send SMS, send SS- and USSD-requests, start Internetbrowser - and open a certain URL-address, show text on the device, play a melody.

According to the researchers, thanks to this attack vector, criminals can also track users, make phone calls and listen to conversations. According to experts, the number of devices with SIM cards on which the WIB application is installed is "hundreds of millions."^[11].

Seizure of more than 32.8 thousand illegally distributed SIM-cards

On July 8, 2019, it became known that in the first half of 2019 Roskomnadzor , together MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Russia with, it seized more than 32.8 thousand illegally distributed SIM cards. Of these, 14.7 thousand SIM-cards belonged to "," VimpelCom 9.7 thousand -, MTS 3.5 thousand -, Tele2 3.4 thousand - "" and To MegaFon 1.4 thousand - to other operators. Protocols communications on administrative offenses have been drawn up against violators, Roskomnadzor notes. Most of the violations are related to the sale of SIM-cards without concluding an agreement and the presentation of an identity document by the buyer, as well as the conclusion of an agreement on the provision of communication services by an unauthorized person.

In addition, according to the results of work to counter the illegal sale of SIM-cards on the Internet in the first half of the year, 343 signs of violations were revealed. Notifications of them are sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to take measures within the framework of the assigned powers when confirming a violation.

The gray SIM card market in Russia is about 7.5 million units, or about 3% of the total number of active SIM cards. Such figures were cited in a study by J'son & Partners Consulting^[12] half of the^[13].

Samsung chips are chosen as the basis of Russian SIM cards

On May 23, 2019, it became known about the use of Samsung chips in Russian SIM cards, although it was originally planned to use domestic solutions. Read more here.

World's first 5G SIM card unveiled

At the end of February 2019, Gemalto announced, according to the company, the world's first SIM card with support for fifth generation (5G) networks. 

The novelty, which complies with the ETSI 3GPP specification and SIMalliance recommendations, will receive a built-in encryption system, which ensures the anonymity of end-to-end subscriber identifiers. As a result, the possibility of misuse of information for the search and tracking of persons or the collection of personal data is excluded, and the compliance of mobile operators with such standards as GDPR is ensured.

The presented SIM card will provide "well-integrated" roaming in 5G networks, and will also be crucial in the development of data roaming-enabled IoT devices that are in hard-to-reach places.

5G SIM card will appear on the commercial market in the first half of 2019 and will be available in all form factors, including eSIM. By the end of February 2019, Gemalto is partnering with companies interested in promoting 5G to develop, standardize and test the product.

Separately, an expanded partnership was announced with US chipmaker Qualcomm to make it easier for hardware manufacturers to develop 5G devices using Qualcomm chipsets and Gemalto SIM cards.

5G-enabled SIM is laying the foundation for trust in the next generation mobile network for operators and other stakeholders in the ecosystem, says Gemalto Executive Vice President of Mobile Services and IoT Emmanuel Unguran. - This will help carriers unlock the full potential of 5G, maximize their network investments and make it easier to deploy new services with full backward compatibility with previous 3G and 4G Gemalto[14] technologies].

2018

Young people in Russia prefer to use only one SIM card

On July 4, 2019, it became known that J'son & Partners Consulting presents the results of the study "Use of SIM cards in the Russian Federation in 2018," dedicated to assessing the real number of SIM cards used by the country's population on an ongoing basis, and the personal devices in which they are installed.

High competition in the Russian cellular market for a long period of time gave rise to a situation where the penetration of cellular services, calculated from the number of active SIM-cards, significantly exceeded 100%. J'son & Partners Consulting investigated the real situation in the cellular mobile market with the help of a quantitative marketing study that covered a representative sample of subscribers of mobile operators (SPS).

According to the results of the study, it was confirmed that women are on average more likely than men to use only one SIM card. Similarly, in general, young people are also more willing to use only one SIM card. From the point of view of using SIM-cards, settlements of different sizes do not show significant differences (the average number of SIM-cards per subscriber differs in all categories by no more than 5%).

According to the data obtained, the use of two or more SIM-cards is not always due to the desire to provide itself with more reliable communication due to the networks of two ATP operators or economy considerations, when combining tariffs of two operators allows you to save on communications. 13.5% of respondents use communication from one mobile operator, but at the same time use two or more SIM cards of this operator.

As part of a section on cellular-connected subscriber devices, J'son & Partners Consulting found that more than 45% of respondents use two or more cellular-connected devices. At the same time, 23.7% of respondents have one of the devices connected to the cellular network is a tablet.

Based on the data obtained and other available data on the cellular market, analysts at J'son & Partners Consulting also assessed the "gray" market for SIM cards purchased for legal entities for subsequent illegal resale or issued for other people's passport data. The conservative lower estimate of this market is about 7.5 million SIM-cards, or about 3% of the total number of active SIM-cards in the Russian Federation.

Telecom operators in the Russian Federation may be obliged to put domestic crypto protection on the network

According to experts from the Ministry of Communications and Mass Telecommunications of the Russian Federation, foreign SIM cards can pose a security threat to Russian residents. Therefore, the department prepared in August 2018 a draft order obliging the use of Russian crypto protection systems on communication networks. If the order comes into force, telecom operators will have to update their network equipment and switch to new SIM cards, Kommersant writes.

The cryptographic protection technologies used must be certified by the Federal Security Service in accordance with the requirements of the "Spring Law." Since SIM cards in this case will become certified means of protection, they will have to be issued according to a special procedure. It is impossible to implement such a procedure on a massive scale, industry representatives say.

According to experts, the execution of the order will cost telecom operators 5 billion rubles. Moreover, subscribers will have to change their SIM cards every 15 months. Replacement of already used SIM cards is not provided (currently about 260 million SIM cards are served in the Russian Federation).

The problem is that domestic telecom operators purchase imported SIM cards on which foreign encryption algorithms are implemented. The FSB does not certify foreign technologies, and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications proposed installing domestic crypto protection tools on imported SIM cards and network equipment.

A law tightening control over the sale of SIM cards

From June 1, all numbers without identifying the identity of the owner can be blocked. According to experts, every fifth Russian may lose mobile communications due to the introduction of such an innovation. First of all, this applies to those who bought a sim card from their hands, and subscribers using corporate numbers.

Organizations that have purchased numbers for employees are invited to transfer passport data of subscribers to cellular operators. Those, in turn, are obliged to check the accuracy of the information provided.

Payment for corporate numbers will be carried out exclusively from the accounts of organizations or individual entrepreneurs. The employees of these companies themselves will be able to pay for communication services only after the cellular operator receives the necessary information and conducts identification of the subscriber's identity.

Verification of personal data for authenticity will be using a general civil passport or through a qualified electronic signature. Also, cellular operators for this purpose will be provided with access to state databases.

2017

Telecom operators can obtain legislative permission to exchange information about changing SIM cards of customers

On December 13, 2017, it became known about the possibility of introducing the function of exchanging data on changing the client's SIM card between telecom operators and banks. This decision is stated as contributing to the fight against fraudsters.

Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for Security and Information Protection of the Central Bank RFArtem Sychev announced the possibility of introducing a function for exchanging data on changing the client's SIM card between telecom operators and banks.

According to him, the organization of cooperation between telecom operators and credit institutions is one of the most important tasks of the Central Bank. And the joint exchange of information about the replacement of SIM-cards is one of them. This measure is designed to help in the fight against fraudsters.

This is a demanded service from financial institutions. Telecom operators, in turn, are ready to supply this service. The question is how to legislate it correctly. But there is a mutual movement on both sides, there is also an understanding of how this can be built. Artem Sychev, Deputy Head of the Main Department of Security and Information Protection of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

As of December 14, 2017, the Central Bank is developing this bill. In 2018, it is planned to transfer it for approval to the Ministry of Communications.

Earlier, the Central Bank, together with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, amended the law "On Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection." According to the amendments, the Central Bank will check and block sites created for the purpose of fraud in the financial market^[15]

Vladimir Putin signed a law to tighten control over SIM card sales

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law in July 2017 to tighten control over SIM card sales, in particular through the gray market of street sellers. Access to cellular communication can be provided to persons whose data is entered into the database of operators.

The law obliges legal entities to provide telecom operators with information about their employees who are issued service SIM cards. Also, telecom operators will be required to verify the reliability of such data. To verify the reliability of information, telecom operators can access the Unified Identification and Authentication System, which is used to provide state and municipal services in electronic form, as well as the Unified Portal of Public Services.

If the data provided to the operator turned out to be inaccurate, the Federal Law provides for the suspension of the provision of communication services.

The State Duma banned the issuance of SIM-cards without checking the data for accuracy

On July 21, 2017, the State Duma adopted in final reading a bill on changing the procedure for concluding contracts and checking data when issuing SIM-cards. The authors of the bill propose to amend Article 53 of the Federal Law "On Communications," which provides for the transfer of personal data of company employees to the telecom operator. It is assumed that this will prevent both the distribution of SIM-cards without concluding contracts, and the provision of communication services to anonymous subscribers.^[16]

The authors of the document were senators of the Federation Council (SF), headed by the speaker of the chamber Valentina Matvienko. According to the explanatory note to the bill, it is aimed at countering the use of fictitious passport data when concluding contracts for the provision of mobile communications services.

The draft law was submitted to the State Duma on May 24, 2017, and on June 14 it was adopted in the first reading. In accordance with the document, the amendments should enter into force on January 1, 2018.

What the bill suggests

The document introduces the term "identification module" (to denote the concept of "SIM card") - an electronic medium that is installed in user equipment and with the help of which the subscriber is identified and its access to the network of the telecom operator is provided.

The draft law also emphasizes that the subscriber is obliged to provide the telecom operator with information about users with communication services in accordance with the rules for providing services. At the same time, these requirements will not apply to contracts concluded in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on the contract system in the field of procurement of goods, works, services to meet state and municipal needs, as well as services by certain types of legal entities.

"A person acting on behalf of a telecom operator, when concluding an agreement on the provision of mobile communications services, is obliged to enter into it reliable information about the subscriber, the list of which is established by the rules for the provision of communication services, and send one copy of the signed agreement to the telecom operator within 10 days after its conclusion," the document says.

In accordance with the requirements of the law, mobile operators, when concluding a contract, will have to check the passport data of the subscriber, in connection with which they will be given access to state information databases. The data provided by the subscriber is confirmed in several ways, including: Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA), qualified electronic signature ( KEP), a single portal of public services and other systems of government agencies.

At the same time, legal entities will be obliged to independently transfer the personal data of their employees when buying corporate SIM cards for them. In case of liquidation of a subscriber - a legal entity or termination of activity by an individual as an individual entrepreneur, subscriber numbers issued to such subscribers under communication service agreements may be re-issued to the actual user of communication services by concluding a service agreement with this user.

If the reliability of the subscriber information provided by the person acting on behalf of the telecom operator has not been confirmed, the bill instructs telecom operators to suspend the provision of services.

In addition, according to the document, payment for cellular services provided to subscribers - legal entities or individual entrepreneurs, is carried out exclusively in the form of non-cash payments by transferring funds from the settlement accounts of such subscribers in commercial banks and other credit organizations licensed by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

Banks will have access to information about SIM card owners

The National Council of the Financial Market (NSFR) (NSFR) announced in early July 2017 its intention to discuss with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation and cellular operators a bill that will allow banks to provide access to information about SIM card owners.^[17]

"The details of the possible implementation of this service are being worked out jointly with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications," the press service of the Central Bank said, noting that the regulator considers it expedient to form a service for the exchange of data on the replacement of SIM cards between telecom operators and banks. "The goal is to ensure the security of funds of customers of credit institutions," the Central Bank said.

It is assumed that cellular operators will provide, at the request of banks, information about the ownership of a SIM card to a particular person (by comparing the name, ID number and phone number), as well as disclose to banks the history of actions with SIM cards: issuing a duplicate, replacing, suspending service, changing operator, etc., Банки.ру portal reports with reference to RBC.

According to the head of the NSFR Andrei Emelin, data will be exchanged through a single server. The Central Research Institute of Communications at the Ministry of Communications will presumably create and maintain it. "We are ready to take on such a function - it was this approach that was proposed to representatives of credit and financial organizations," said a representative of the institute. According to him, the Research Institute of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications is already holding consultations with representatives of the Bank of Russia, technical approaches to solving this problem are being discussed. "Depending on the chosen model of technical implementation of the solution, the estimated cost of such a server will be determined," the representative added. Meanwhile, the institute is testing a trial version of such a server, the construction of which would cost 10 million rubles.

It is planned that the connection to the server will be paid and tariffs will be set by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications based on an analysis of the amount of data that operators will provide.

Notes