Mobile
eSIM in 2026: Your Business Number Without Extra Hardware
A new starter joins on Monday. The old routine goes like this: order a SIM, wait for it to arrive, hunt for the little tool to open the SIM tray, and hope the card doesn’t get lost on someone’s desk in the meantime. When that person eventually leaves, you chase the SIM back, or more likely you don’t.
eSIM does away with most of that. For small businesses it makes mobile simpler to set up, easier to manage when staff come and go, and it opens up a neat way to put your business phone number on the mobile people already carry.
Here’s what eSIM is, where it helps, where it doesn’t, and how Edison uses it.
What is an eSIM?
A traditional SIM is a small plastic card that tells the mobile network who you are. An eSIM does the same job, but the chip is built into the phone. Instead of posting a card, the network sends a digital profile to the phone, usually by you scanning a QR code or using a setup option in the phone’s settings.
That’s it. Same job, no card. But removing the physical card changes quite a lot for a business.
Why eSIM makes business mobile simpler
Nothing to post, nothing to lose
There are no SIM cards to order, courier, store or track down. The profile arrives digitally, so there’s nothing to go missing in the post or fall out of a phone.
Faster when people join
Setting up a new user is a digital task rather than a delivery. Once the service is provisioned, the new starter scans a code and they’re ready, which is especially handy for people working remotely or out on site.
Cleaner when people leave
When someone leaves, the service can be switched off remotely. There’s no need to get a card back from them before you can stop paying for it or reassign it.
Business and personal on one phone
Most eSIM-capable phones can run two lines at once, typically a physical SIM plus an eSIM, or two eSIMs. That means a member of staff can keep their personal number and add a business line on the same handset, rather than carrying two phones. Phones generally let you label each line (for example “Work” and “Personal”) and choose which one to call from.
The limitations, honestly
eSIM is useful, but it isn’t magic. Before you plan around it, bear these in mind:
- Not every phone supports it. Most recent iPhones and flagship Android phones do, but many older and budget models don’t. Always check the specific device.
- Changing phones takes a step. You can’t just move a card to the new handset. The eSIM needs transferring or reissuing, so plan for that when upgrading phones.
- Treat the QR code with care. Activation codes are often single-use and should only be scanned on the phone they’re meant for.
- One phone, two lines. If the handset is lost, broken or out of battery, both the personal and business lines are affected.
- People need boundaries. Having work calls on a personal phone works well, but agree when staff are expected to answer. Most phones can silence a line or set quiet hours.
How to check a phone for eSIM: look in the phone’s mobile or SIM settings for an option to add an eSIM. On many phones, dialling *#06# will also show an “EID” number if the phone has an eSIM. If in doubt, tell us the make and model and we’ll check it for you.
Your business number on your mobile, with no app
This is where eSIM gets interesting for small businesses. Edison’s FMC Mobile (FMC stands for fixed-mobile convergence) uses an eSIM to make a mobile phone a full extension of your Edison VoIP phone system.
In practice, that means:
- Your business number rings on your mobile, through the phone’s normal dialler, at the same time as your desk phone
- No app to install, log into or keep running in the background
- Calls run over the EE mobile network, not Wi-Fi or mobile data
- Outbound calls show your business number, so staff never have to give out personal mobile numbers
- Phone system features come with it, including call transfer, voicemail and call recording
- You can move a call between your desk phone and your mobile without hanging up
- It sits alongside your personal SIM, so business and personal stay on separate lines on the same phone
Setting it up is straightforward. We confirm the phone supports eSIM, set up the FMC extension on your phone system and send a QR code. Scan it, and your business extension rings on your mobile.
FMC Mobile is £10 per user per month and works with an Edison VoIP system, where extensions are £10 a month each.
Three ways to take business calls on a mobile
FMC Mobile isn’t the only option, and it isn’t right for everyone. Here’s how the choices compare.
| Option | How it works | Price |
|---|---|---|
| gloCOM app | Softphone app linked to your VoIP extension. Needs Wi-Fi or mobile data. | £2.50/month add-on |
| FMC Mobile | eSIM that makes the phone an extension of your VoIP system. Native dialler, no app, calls over the EE network. | £10/user/month |
| Business mobile SIM plan | A separate business mobile line with unlimited calls, texts and data. | O2 £16, EE £23, Vodafone £25 per month |
Roughly speaking: the app suits people who are usually on good Wi-Fi and want the lowest cost. FMC Mobile suits people who need their office number to reach them reliably wherever they have mobile signal. A business mobile plan suits staff who need a company phone line with its own data allowance. Plenty of businesses use a mix.
So what hardware do you still need?
You still need a phone, obviously. What eSIM removes is the extra hardware around it: the SIM cards, the second handset for work, and for some people the desk phone they rarely sit next to. If your team does want desk phones, VoIP handsets are free on contract, and FMC Mobile rings alongside them.
Who this suits
- Business owners who are never at one desk and don’t want to hand out their personal number
- Trades and field engineers who need the office number to reach them on site
- Clinics and practices where staff move between rooms
- Hybrid teams working between home, the office and the road
- Growing teams who want setting up new starters to be quick
At Edison Networks we’ve been helping UK small businesses with their phones since 2013, and our team brings more than 30 years’ telecoms experience. eSIM is one of the more practical changes we’ve seen in that time, because it removes admin rather than adding it.
Put your business number in your pocket
Tell us which phones your team uses and how they work, and we’ll tell you honestly whether FMC Mobile, the app or a business SIM plan is the best fit.
Ask about FMC Mobile