At the sixth annual Indian Mobile Congress today, PM Modi announced the launch of 5G in India (IMC 2022). Among other areas, the launch of 5G is predicted to enhance remote data monitoring in mining, manufacturing, telemedicine, and storage. The actual query is if a new SIM is required for use on the 5G network or if your current SIM will function.
“No” is the straightforward answer to this question. You don’t need to buy a new SIM card to use 5G services. Nevertheless, there are a few difficult things to keep in mind.
An older mobile communication standard served as the foundation for the smart card known as SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), which was initially developed during the 2G era. The name was changed to USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) with the introduction of 3G, and new smart cards were created in accordance with the new 3GPP standard. These more current SIM cards, which support 2G, 3G, 4G, and even 5G networks, are also known technically as Rel 99+ USIM cards.
Therefore, if you already have a SIM card that works well with 4G/LTE networks when 5G launches in the country, it will also work with 5G. You should be able to connect to a 5G network, access mobile Internet, and make calls with your current 4G SIM. However, in order to use the improved 5G capabilities, several mobile companies are demanding their customers to convert to new SIM cards.
