A method of operating a network at a network access node, AN, and an Authentication and Access server, AAS, the method comprising: receiving by the AN, from a machine type communication, MTC, device, a connection request (202, 302) for a machine type communication, wherein the connection request includes an authentication credential for the MTC device and the connection request includes an indicator indicating that the connection request is for a machine type communication; in response to the receiving, transmitting by the AN an access request (204, 304) to a Device Management Server, DMS, wherein the DMS is different than the network access node, and the access request includes the authentication credential for the MTC device; in response to transmitting the access request, receiving by the AN and from the DMS a shared subscriber identity module, SIM, parameter for the machine type communication based on the authentication credential, wherein the shared SIM parameter is shared among a plurality of MTC devices and selected by the AAS from a pool of shared SIM parameters, and each of the plurality of MTC devices is assigned a different shared SIM parameter from the pool of shared SIMs parameters by the AAS; transmitting by the AN, to the MTC device, the shared SIM parameter; receiving by the AN, from the MTC device, a registration request, wherein the registration request includes the shared SIM parameter and the registration request is different than the connection request; registering by the AN the MTC device with a cellular network using the shared SIM parameter; and after registering the MTC device, receiving by the AN, from the MTC device, a data packet for the machine type communication. receiving by the AN, from a machine type communication, MTC, device, a connection request (202, 302) for a machine type communication, wherein the connection request includes an authentication credential for the MTC device and the connection request includes an indicator indicating that the connection request is for a machine type communication; in response to the receiving, transmitting by the AN an access request (204, 304) to a Device Management Server, DMS, wherein the DMS is different than the network access node, and the access request includes the authentication credential for the MTC device; in response to transmitting the access request, receiving by the AN and from the DMS a shared subscriber identity module, SIM, parameter for the machine type communication based on the authentication credential, wherein the shared SIM parameter is shared among a plurality of MTC devices and selected by the AAS from a pool of shared SIM parameters, and each of the plurality of MTC devices is assigned a different shared SIM parameter from the pool of shared SIMs parameters by the AAS; transmitting by the AN, to the MTC device, the shared SIM parameter; receiving by the AN, from the MTC device, a registration request, wherein the registration request includes the shared SIM parameter and the registration request is different than the connection request; registering by the AN the MTC device with a cellular network using the shared SIM parameter; and after registering the MTC device, receiving by the AN, from the MTC device, a data packet for the machine type communication.