SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA-- August 31, 2021 -- IDEMIA will supply KT Corporation its eXtra One 5G USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module), a dedicated 5G SIM card giving enhanced subscriber privacy protection and fast, seamless connectivity in South Korea, while marking a big development leap forward and boosting consumer 5G handset adoption.

IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, today announced it plans to team up with KT Corporation (formerly Korea Telecomm) to launch KTC’s first standalone (SA) 5G USIM card in Asia-Pacific in support of their new 5G standalone network.

Under this partnership, IDEMIA will supply KTC 5G standalone USIM cards with NFC (near-field communication) features. The 5G standalone USIM delivers better security for MNO (Mobile Network Operator) network customers as the cards are specially designed to protect customer privacy. Through the USIMs IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) encryption capability, MNO customer private data such as location and network usage habits will be protected by the fact that mobile users’ IMSI numbers are encrypted before transmission to networks. The card safeguards MNOs’ control over their 5G security and data. Compliant with global privacy regulations and recommended by the Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA), 5G USIM cards are also compatible with 5G non-stand alone (NSA) networks, 4G networks and South Korea’s NFC contactless payment schemes.

“We constantly push the boundaries at IDEMIA, and launching our eXtra One 5G SA USIM cards in Asia for the first time is testament to this. We have worked with KT Corporation for many years going back to the 3G era, and we are thrilled to join forces once more to bring to market a truly groundbreaking product. We look forward to support their efforts in delivering a smoother, more modern experience to South Korean customers,” said Benson Yeo, IDEMIA Asia Pacific Mobile Operators Vice President.

“It’s just a matter of time before 5G becomes the new global communication standard. We partner with IDEMIA to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that our users’ privacy and data are totally safe while they enjoy the benefits of our 5G networks. Our past great teamwork with IDEMIA gives us confidence they have the expertise and capability to create these game-changing 5G SA USIM cards for our customers”, said Joon-Ho Lee, Device Team Leader, Device Division, KT Corporation.