Google continues to develop Android 13 for the final release next fall. In addition to the innovations we have seen in the trial versions published so far, we have one more interesting thing for those who want to use multiple phone numbers on the same terminal: the mobile system will support multiple profiles on one eSIM.

Physical and removable SIM cards were long gone in favor of eSIM, the latest generation of virtual SIMs that are part of a factory-inserted terminal block chip and that, like standard SIMs, allow us to connect to the Internet and make calls and messages, but with much higher potential and design advantages.

Regardless of the hardware, the user with eSIM does not have to go to the store to buy the SIM (or wait for it to arrive in the mail) when changing operators. Portability is faster, as is hiring additional services. In addition, virtual SIM card data is stored in the cloud, so it can be easily used on multiple devices by simply entering user credentials. Lastly, realize that all of these benefits can be extended from cell phones to computers, wearable devices, or the Internet of Things.

But there is still a long way to go before it becomes universally compatible with all carriers. If you need to use two different mobile phone numbers in one device, the solution so far has been dual SIM. One of its advantages is that you can use two mobile operators at the same time, as long as the phone is not locked to a specific network, thus achieving greater mobile coverage. Another example of use can be found in some markets, especially emerging markets, for the separation of voice and data rates. It’s useful, but cumbersome.

Android 13 with MEP support

So far, most teSIM smartphones are not compatible with the two SIM cards feature unless the OEM included two chips eSIM on your phone. However, Google has a solution to this problem, and all indications are that it is implementing it in Android 13. Google’s solution comes in the form of support for multiple profiles allowed (member of parliament)method enabling multiple SIM profiles on one eSIM.

Google secured a patent for this technology in mid-2020, and we saw links to it on AOSP and the Android developer website. With support for MEP, the only eSIM element can be connected to two different carriers at the same time, which eliminates the need to have two eSIMs or one eSIM plus a nano SIM card to function as two SIM cards. This reduces costs and frees up valuable space for other hardware components, which is especially important for products such as phones, tablets and folding devices.

How does it work?

Every SIM card profile that the user downloads and installs on the eSIM chip is associated with “dedicated communication interface”. This communication interface provides a “independent communication channel” between the SIM profile installed on the eSIM chip and the modem, and is usually a physical interface that connects the two using cables / buses.

A physical interface is required to connect the eSIM chip and modem, but because this interface only supports one communication channel, two physical interfaces would be required to communicate with the two SIM profiles stored on the eSIM chip and work with one modem in Dual SIM.

To prevent this, Google proposes to create logical interfaces that are multiplexed on a single physical interface. Each logical interface can provide a separate communication channel between the SIM profile and the modem, so that only one actual physical connection to the modem would be needed. And it doesn’t require switching, so an existing device with a single eSIM chip connected to the modem could theoretically support MEP. From a modem perspective, there is no difference between a logical and a physical interface, which allows for backward compatibility.

In addition, because Google’s approach is general, it is also platform independent. In fact, Android 13 may not be the only operating system that supports this technology, as Google explicitly refers to other operating systems, such as iOS, macOS, and Windows, in its patent.

It is unclear whether Google plans to offer this technology to everyone for free or through a patent licensing scheme. Google has tested MEP support on unspecified Pixel hardware and has built new APIs into its application that manages eSIM profiles, so we’re sure to see at least one Pixel smartphone with this technology. The idea is outlined, to support multiple profiles in one eSIM.