Multi-modem communication using virtual identity modules

1. Communication apparatus, comprising:

an interface to a plurality of physical wireless modems; and

bonding circuitry, which is configured to receive multiple virtual identities, to load respective ones of the received virtual identities into two or more of the physical wireless modems, and to communicate over the air by simultaneously transmitting or receiving a data stream over at least the two or more of the physical wireless modems,

wherein the virtual identities are downloaded to the apparatus from at least one pool of heterogeneous virtual identities belonging to at least two different wireless networks, and

wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to select a number and combination of the physical wireless modems and the virtual identities to receive and load into the physical wireless modems responsively to conditions respectively associated with the at least two different wireless connections.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a connection to a physical subscriber identity module (SIM), wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to apply an identity from the physical SIM in one of the physical wireless modems so as to transmit or receive the data stream over the one of the physical wireless modems along with at least one of the physical wireless modems into which the virtual identities have been loaded.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to communicate initially with at least one server using the one of the physical wireless modems in which the identity from the physical SIM is applied in order to download the virtual identities from the at least one server.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the physical SIM is used essentially, when outside a home network of the physical SIM, for obtaining credentials of one or more of the virtual identities.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to communicate initially with at least one server using an external proxy device in order to download the virtual identities from the at least one server.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual identities are associated with two or more different cellular carriers.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the modems is a cellular modem, and at least another of the modems is a satellite modem or is configured for wireless local area network communication.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein one of the virtual identities is downloaded to the satellite modem.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein one of the virtual identities is downloaded to the one of the modems that is configured for wireless local area network communication.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual identities are selected responsively to at least one factor selected from a group of factors consisting of:

a device ID;

a device configuration;

device capabilities;

a number of the modems in the apparatus;

respective qualities of services experienced by different physical wireless modems;

respective qualities of service experienced by different wireless carriers;

respective qualities of service monitored by the apparatus;

respective qualities of service expected from or provided by different wireless operators;

respective qualities of service associated with at least one of the virtual identities available for selection;

desired performance;

gaps in performance;

a cost of at least one connection;

a cost of at least one communication;

a cost of at least one of the virtual identities;

a cost of at least one physical identity;

a cost associated with at least some of the virtual identities available for selection;

a price, terms and agreements associated with the apparatus;

a price, terms and agreements associated with an operator of the apparatus;

a status of at least one of the virtual identities available for selection;

capabilities supported by the modems and associated circuitry;

a status of other devices;

marketing criteria;

operating criteria;

promotional criteria;

a location of the apparatus;

capabilities supported by networks in the location of the apparatus;

mobility of the apparatus;

a current time;

applications in use by the apparatus; and a user input.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured, in response to a change in one or more of the factors, to modify a utilization of the virtual identities among the physical wireless modems.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured, in response to the change in the one or more of the factors, to download at least one further virtual identity and to load the at least one further virtual identity into at least one of the physical wireless modems.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured, in response to the change in the one or more of the factors, to release at least one of the virtual identities.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual identities comprise additional information, selected from a group of information items consisting of:

an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI);

an operator identity;

an access point name (APN);

bandwidth-related information;

latency-related information;

technology-related information;

an error rate;

a connection user name;

a connection password;

cost information;

usage information; and

network capabilities.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual identities are selected so as to optimize a cost-performance criterion of bonded communications by the plurality of the physical wireless modems together.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to request a first set of the virtual identities from a server, and to receive from the server a second set of the virtual identities, different from the first set, and to load at least one of the virtual identities in the second set into one or more of the physical wireless modems.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to request the virtual identities from at least two servers, each configured to provide the virtual identities from a different, respective network operator.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to request from at least one server a set of the virtual identities having a target performance level or a target number of the virtual identities, and to receive from the at least one server an offer of a number of the virtual identities that is different from the requested set or will exceed the target performance level.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to select the virtual identities to be used by the physical wireless modems from the different number that is offered by the at least one server.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to request the virtual identities while specifying a minimum performance level of the virtual identities.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the received virtual identities are applied by the apparatus in encrypting and decrypting communications.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to request at least one of the virtual identities automatically upon occurrence of a condition selected from a group of conditions consisting of:

power up;

connection of at least one external device to the apparatus;

disconnection of at least one external device from the apparatus;

a specified status of at least one of the modems;

a specified connectivity status;

specified performance level;

a gap between actual performance and a desired performance level;

a specified utilization level of at least one of the virtual identities;

a specified cost level of at least one of the virtual identities;

a specified level of mobility;

a specified level of a parameter relating to a network condition;

a specified time;

a specified location;

a hardware trigger;

a software trigger;

a user input; and

shutdown.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to receive at least one of the virtual identities over at least two of the modems.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a connection configured to pass the virtual identities received over one of the modems to at least some of the other modems.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding circuitry is configured to replace at least one of the virtual identities that is in use in at least one of the physical wireless modems during operation of the apparatus in communicating over the air.

26. A method for communication, comprising:

providing a bonding device that includes an interface to a plurality of physical wireless modems;

receiving multiple virtual identities from at least one server to the bonding device, wherein the virtual identities are downloaded from at least one pool of heterogeneous virtual identities belonging to at least two different wireless networks;

loading two or more of the received virtual identities respectively into two or more of the physical wireless modems, wherein a number and combination of the physical wireless modems and the virtual identities to receive and load into the physical wireless modems is selected responsively to conditions respectively associated with the at least two different wireless networks; and

communicating over the air by simultaneously using two or more of the virtual identities to transmit or receive a data stream over at least the two or more of the physical wireless modems.

27. A communication system, comprising:

at least one server, configured to maintain and distribute to clients multiple different virtual identities from at least one pool of heterogeneous virtual identities for communicating over at least two different wireless networks; and

at least one bonding communication device, which comprises an interface to a plurality of physical wireless modems and is configured to receive two or more virtual identities from the at least one server, to load respective ones of the downloaded virtual identities into at least two of the physical wireless modems, and to communicate over the air by simultaneously using two or more of the virtual identities to transmit or receive a data stream over at least the two or more of the physical wireless modems,

wherein the bonding device is configured to select a number and combination of the physical wireless modems and the virtual identities to receive and load into the physical wireless modems responsively to conditions respectively associated with the at least two different wireless networks.