13-digit M2M numbers for IoT-enabled devices to go into effect from 1 July: Dept of Telecom

M2M SIMs built differently for the field and are only mostly used in IoT or connected devices that facilitates communication between the two or more objects. With the number of IoT devices on the rise and the growing need for communication between various IoT-based devices, the Department of Telecom has now issued a directive asking all telecom operators in the country to start issuing 13-digit M2M mobile numbers. The following is a letter send by BSNL to its manufacturers/telecom equipment provider that reflects this: For the uninitiated, M2M SIMs differ from the regular SIM cards used in mobile devices. M2M SIMs are not ideal for mobile devices, because they only allow for data communication and are provided by various operators with special data packaged created for that very purpose.