Maputo — Mozambique's publicly owned telecommunications company, Tmcel, has launched onto the Mozambican market a virtual SIM card, reports Friday's issue of the independent newssheet, "Carta de Mocambique'.

The e-SIM card replaces the physical card, and will be integrated into the mobile phone's hardware. It will thus no longer be necessary to insert or remove the card from the phone.

According to a Tmcel source cited by the paper, the main advantage of the e-SIM card is the security of the client's phone and data.

"Since the e-SIM card cannot be removed, because it is virtually integrated into the device, the connection of the data cannot be interrupted', said the source. "This helps in locating the phone in the event of loss or theft, and eliminates the possibility of the card breaking or wearing out'.

However, the technology is relatively new, and so phones that can support an e-SIM card are new to the Mozambican market. Most mobile phone users in Mozambique will continue to use physical SIM cards for some time to come.