System and method for virtual SIM card

1. A method, comprising:

creating, by a network device, a first user account for storing one or more virtual subscriber identity modules (vSIMs);

receiving, by the network device and from a user of the first user account, a selection of network services to be associated with a vSIM;

initiating, by the network device, creation of a blockchain including a vSIM certificate for the network services, wherein the vSIM certificate includes an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI);

associating, by the network device, the vSIM certificate with the first user account; and

receiving, from a client device and via a radio access network (RAN), an application programming interface (API) call including a private authentication code and a query for the vSIM certificate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

verifying the private authentication code; and

activating the client device for network services based on the IMSI in the vSIM certificate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

after the verifying, providing instructions, to a node in a distributed consensus network, to update the blockchain.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, the private authentication code and a transfer request for the vSIM certificate; and

sending, to the client device, a public key for the blockchain.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

transferring, by the network device and in response to the transfer request, the vSIM certificate to a second user account.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving, from another client device, an access request, the public key, and another private authentication code;

verifying the other private authentication code; and

activating the other client device for network services based on the IMSI in the vSIM certificate.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

providing instructions to update the blockchain in response to the activating the other client device for network services; and

receiving confirmation from a node in a distributed consensus network of the updating the blockchain.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

crediting, by the network device, the first user account in response to activating the other client device for network services.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the API call is received via a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) control channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein further comprising:

comparing the authentication code received from client device with a previously stored authentication code; and

denying access to the vSIM when the authentication code does not match the previously stored authentication code.

11. A system, comprising:

a network device, the network device including a memory and a processor to execute instructions in the memory to:

create, in the memory, a first user account for storing one or more virtual subscriber identity modules (vSIMs);

receive, from a user of the first user account, a selection of network services to be associated with a vSIM;

initiate creation of a blockchain including a vSIM certificate for the network services, wherein the vSIM certificate includes an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI);

associate the vSIM certificate with the first user account;

receive, from a client device, a query for the vSIM certificate;

activate the client device for cellular network services based on the IMSI in the vSIM certificate; and

update the blockchain in response to activating the client device for cellular network services.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein, when receiving the query for the vSIM certificate, the network device is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

receive, from the client device, a private authentication code associated with the query for the vSIM certificate; and

verify the private authentication code.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein, when receiving the private authentication code, the network device is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

receive the private authentication code via an application programming interface (API) call submitted over a radio access network (RAN).

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein, when receiving the private authentication code and the query for the vSIM certificate, the network device is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

receive the private authentication code and the query for the vSIM certificate via a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) control channel.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the vSIM certificate further comprises a blockchain identifier for the vSIM.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network device is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

receive, from the client device, the blockchain identifier, the private authentication code, and a transfer request for the vSIM certificate; and

send, to the client device and in response to the transfer request, a public key for the blockchain.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

the client device, wherein the client device does not include a physical subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a device to:

create, in a memory, a first user account for storing one or more virtual subscriber identity modules (vSIMs);

receive, from a user of the first user account, a selection of network services to be associated with a vSIM;

initiate creation of a blockchain including a vSIM certificate for the network services, wherein the vSIM certificate includes an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI);

associate the vSIM certificate with the first user account;

receive, from a client device, a query for the vSIM certificate;

activate the client device for cellular network services based on the IMSI in the vSIM certificate; and

update the blockchain in response to activating the client device for cellular network services.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions to:

receive, from the client device, a private authentication code and a transfer request for the vSIM certificate;

send, to the client device, a public key for the blockchain;

receive, from another client device, an access request, the public key, and another private authentication code;

verify the other private authentication code; and

activate the other client device for cellular network services based on the IMSI in the vSIM certificate.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions to:

receive the query for the vSIM certificate via a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) control channel.