How does my device connect using a Hologram SIM?
Your device connects to the internet through a Hologram SIM using the device’s modem. Each SIM can have one or more installed connectivity profiles. A profile lets your device connect to the internet through a specific set of networks and countries as defined by the SIM’s data plan.
Device information
Hologram stores minimal information about your device, which we identify using the device ID. We receive basic information from networks about your device during data sessions. This includes the IMEI used to connect to a data session, which also lets us identify the the modem model when we have it using the IMEI TAC prefix. IMEI data is not sent by networks or carriers in every data session, so we default to showing the last known IMEI for your device. Your device must have the correct APN set to connect to the internet. Hologram’s default APN ishologram.
SIM information
Hologram Hyper IoT SIMs are identified by the SIM ID, which is Hologram’s unique identifier for a SIM card. Each SIM card connects to the internet through a connectivity profile. Most of our SIMs have a single installed profile. SIMs can have multiple profiles installed, and SIMs can switch between profiles on-demand using Outage Protection (if enabled) to prevent downtime and outages for your devices. However, only one profile can be active at a time, and the enabled profile ICCID is the ICCID of the profile currently active and able to use data. We call these SIMs “Multi-Core Hyper SIMs”. Hologram primarily stores and reports on information at the SIM level, not at the device level.Profile information
A connectivity profile is a carrier-defined mobile core, with its own network settings that define how a SIM card connects to the internet. The enabled profile determines the network connectivity available to your device through a SIM when it connects to the internet. The data plan added to your SIM defines which countries and networks each profile can connect to, defining the coverage available to your device. Each profile is identified by the ICCID as well as Hologram’s unique profile ID (also known as the link ID in our v1 API). Each profile also has a unique MSISDN and IMSI. Profiles can be installed on a SIM using over-the-air (OTA) eUICC updates. If a SIM has multiple installed profiles, which we refer to as “Multi-Core SIMs”, they can switch automatically through fallback events if the primary profile loses connectivity through our Outage Protection functionality, or can be switched manually.Profile names
Each profile has a name, which can be used to identify the profile in your dashboard and identify expected connectivity behavior.| Profile name | Profile short name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Global-3 | G3 | Our default global profile. SIMs purchased from the Hologram Store come with this profile installed by default. |
| Global-2, Global-1 | G2, G1 | Additional global profiles available to customers with an active contract that work with our Sales team. |
| USA-2 CAT-M1 | US2M | Tier-1 USA-only performance profile with Cat-M1/LTE-M connectivity, available to customers with an active contract that work with our Sales team. |
| USA-2 CAT-1+ | US2+ | Tier-1 USA-only performance profile with high-bandwidth Cat-1 connectivity and 5G Standalone (SA) support, available to customers with an active contract that work with our Sales team. |
| Canada-1 | CA1 | Tier-1 Canada-only performance profile available to customers with an active contract that work with our Sales team. |
| USA-1 | US1 | Legacy USA-only profile. |
| Brazil-1 | BR1 | Legacy Brazil-only profile. |
Hologram connectivity identifiers and terminology
Profile identifiers and terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Profile (Link) ID | Hologram’s unique identifier for a profile. |
| APN | The Access Point Name identifies Hologram as the service provider when a profile connects to the internet. APNs are per-profile, and in rare cases can vary between profiles. |
| ICCID | The Integrated Circuit Card Identifier is the unique identifier for a profile on a SIM card. |
| Bootstrap ICCID | The ICCID of the first profile installed on a SIM at the time of manufacture. This ICCID is printed on Hologram SIM 1FF and 4FF format SIM cards. |
| Enabled profile ICCID | The ICCID of the profile that is currently active and able to use data. The enabled ICCID changes when profiles switch on multi-core SIMs. |
| Operational ICCID | The ICCID of any additional profile beyond the bootstrap profile installed on a SIM. |
| IMSI | The International Mobile Subscriber Identity is a unique identifier for a profile. IMSIs can be retrieved using our REST API. |
| MSISDN | The Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number is a unique identifier for a profile which acts as the SIM’s phone number. The enabled profile MSISDN changes when profiles switch on multi-core SIMs. |
SIM identifiers and terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| SIM ID | Hologram’s unique, primary identifier for a SIM card. |
| EID (eUICCID) | The Electronic Identification Number (eUICCID) is a unique identifier for a SIM card. |
| Coverage | The list of networks, RATs, and countries that a SIM can connect to through a specific profile. Coverage is determined by the SIM’s enabled profile, and is defined by a data plan. |
| Data Plan | A data plan defines the rates and coverage available to a SIM through its installed profiles. |
Device identifiers and terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Device ID | Hologram’s unique identifier for a customer device. |
| IMEI | The International Mobile Equipment Identity is a 15-digit unique identifier for a device. |
| IMEI TAC | The Type Allocation Code (TAC) is the prefix of the IMEI, which represents the type of modem. |
| Last known IMEI | The last known IMEI Hologram has received for a device from a data session. |
Outage Protection terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Outage Protection | Outage Protection allows a multi-core Hyper SIM to switch to a backup profile if the primary profile loses connectivity. |
| Fallback event | A network disconnection event that causes a SIM to switch to a backup profile if the enabled profile loses connectivity. Available on multi-core SIMs with Outage Protection enabled. |
| Fallback timer | The amount of time a SIM will wait before switching to a backup profile if the enabled profile loses connectivity. Default is 15 minutes. Available on multi-core SIMs with Outage Protection enabled. |