Operational Guide

eSIM in Ghost Countries

Your VaultPhone connects to mobile networks via eSIM provisioned in jurisdictions that do not share subscriber data with requesting parties. Combined with default-on Tor and the device’s anti-IMEI-exposure design, your network footprint is much harder to attribute.

What “Ghost Country” Means

A “ghost country” is a jurisdiction whose carriers and regulators do not respond to subscriber-data requests from outside their borders — or whose subscriber records are structurally unlinkable from the SIM identity. We provision eSIM profiles through partner carriers in those jurisdictions.

We do not publish the carrier list publicly. The list rotates as regulatory environments change. Procurement and institutional customers can request the current list under NDA from support.

Activation Walkthrough

  1. Power on the device after delivery. The first-boot setup detects the pre-provisioned eSIM profile.
  2. Confirm the carrier identity shown on screen against the carrier reference in your shipment confirmation (delivered over Signal).
  3. Approve the activation. The device registers on the carrier network with no IMEI exposure — the device identifier presented is the eSIM profile, not a hardware identifier.
  4. Once activated, all data traffic is routed through Tor at the OS level. There is no VPN to enable or disable.
  5. For voice, use Signal calling. PSTN voice is not routed through Tor and is not recommended for sensitive operations.

Re-Provisioning After a Wipe

When you trigger the kill switch, the eSIM profile is destroyed along with all other user data. Recovering connectivity means re-provisioning a fresh eSIM profile, not restoring the old one.

  1. Complete the kill-switch recovery flow with support (see the kill switch guide).
  2. Support issues a new eSIM activation token, distributed over Signal.
  3. Boot the re-provisioned device. The new eSIM profile installs as part of first-boot setup.
  4. The new profile is uncorrelated with the previous one — the carrier sees a fresh subscriber identity.

What this does and does not protect

Ghost-country eSIM reduces carrier-side identifier correlation. It does not protect against an adversary who can observe your local radio environment, geolocate your device through Wi-Fi or cell tower triangulation, or observe traffic patterns on the Tor network itself. See the threat model for the full picture.