MWC: Gemalto makes Facebook available via SIM card

Gemalto has managed to install a special Facebook application on the SIM card. With this, the company wants to make it possible for all phones that have a SIM card slot to access the social networking site.

All necessary software for using Facebook is installed on the SIM card, and no data connection is required to use the app, the company says. know. According to Gemalto, SMS is used to communicate with the social networking site’s servers. Users must, however, take out a paid subscription to use the SIM card application, although the service can be tried out for free for some time.

Facebook is already available as an app for most smartphone operating systems, and the social networking site recently released a Java application for simpler phones.

It was previously announced that Gemalto is working on NFC support on SIM cards in collaboration with NXP. This should ensure that mobile payments become possible. The Mifare chip used for this is comparable to the one used in the public transport chip card, but it is unclear whether the NFC SIM cards will also be suitable for payments in public transport.