Communications network capable of determining SIM card changes in electronic devices

A carrier network comprising:

• a first electronic device with an intelligent agent communicatively coupled to the carrier network, the first electronic device comprising a programmed card reader and a first programmed card associated with the carrier network or a service provided by the carrier network;
• a service coordinator that is communicatively coupled to the first electronic device;
• a second electronic device with the intelligent agent and a second programmed card reader also communicatively coupled to the service coordinator;
• a first device specification in the first electronic device describing the device specifications of the first electronic device;
• a second electronic device specification in the second electronic device describing the device specifications of the second electronic device;
• and
• the intelligent agent in the second electronic device detecting the presence of the first programmed card, when the first programmed card is introduced into the second programmed card reader of the second electronic device, and communicating a first programmed card information retrieved from the first programmed card to the service coordinator along with the second electronic device specification.

A mobile handset communicatively coupled to a cellular wireless network wherein the mobile handset comprises a subscriber identity module that identifies a subscriber's subscription to the cellular wireless network, the subscriber identity module being mounted in a programmed card, the programmed card capable of being inserted into any mobile handset that will accept the programmed card, the subscriber identity module, when inserted into the mobile handset as part of the programmed card, providing the cellular wireless network information about the subscriber that is necessary for establishing a call, billing, etc., the mobile handset further comprising:

• a non-volatile storage;
• a previous card reference in the non-volatile storage for saving at least a portion of information provided by the subscriber identity module;
• a device specification comprising at least a manufacturer, a model, a firmware version of the mobile handset;
• the mobile handset comparing the saved previous card reference to at least a portion of the information provided by the current subscriber identity module, on power up or on insertion of the programmed card containing the subscriber identity module into the mobile handset, and, if determined to be different, the mobile handset saving at least a portion of the information provided by the subscriber identity module in the previous card reference;
• and
• the mobile handset communicating a subscriber identity module changed event to the cellular wireless network when it determines that the saved previous card reference does not match the at least a portion of the information provided by the current subscriber identity module.