Deutsche Telekom has commissioned a research partner (G&D) to develop a SIM card for phones featuring contactless NFC technology. This new type of SIM card will eventually be used by DT networks in the future, and will be the first time that contactless NFC technology will be implemented with a universal SIM.

The solution will be used by DT to help meet their global integration demands, and will also lay the foundation for future contactless service and payment options. Giesecke & Devrient (G&D ) won the contract after an international bidding process, and the NFC SIM card solution will be designed to function globally. NFC SIM cards are considered to be an important element in enabling mobile phone payments in the future, and G&D's existing SIM card OS called SkySIM was seen as offering a buildable platform for many contactless NFC features.

Polar Wireless has acquired Ontario Inc, a private Canadian company with a patent-pending solution to reduce global roaming fees on GSM phones. The technology will now be called the Polar SIM card, which is a tiny multifunctional electronic device that works as a SIM card overlay.

It fits inside a cell phone and works with the carrier's SIM card. Unlike other international calling solutions, subscribers keep their existing phone, number and dialing protocol while enjoying discounted Polar rates. To coincide with the acquisition, Polar Wireless has also appointed a new CFO and expanded its board of directors as it prepares for an expected growth wave driven by the new technology. Polar Wireless is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), and their newly acquired SIM technology is operable in over 213 countries.

Apple has now announced that it's selling unlocked iPhones in the US, which has led many to question whether the company is setting the stage for a 'global iPhone 5'. Others think that the new unlocked iPhone is simply an appeal to international travelers who want to be able to use a micro SIM card from another GSM carrier in their destination country.

Within the US the unlocked iPhone just doesn't make a lot of sense now that other networks besides AT&T also offer the iPhone. It's rumored that AT&T is planning t buy T-Mobile, and if that does happen than Sprint would be the only carrier in the US to not offer an iPhone, although this may change soon as well. That's why some industry analysts believe there is more behind the unlocked iPhone launch than Apple is stating publicly.