diff --git a/src/simutil.c b/src/simutil.c
index e6651af7..a86b404e 100644
--- a/src/simutil.c
+++ b/src/simutil.c
@@ -842,6 +842,23 @@ void sim_parse_mcc_mnc(const guint8 *bcd, char *mcc, char *mnc)
 	*mnc++ = digit_lut[digit];
 }
 
+void sim_encode_mcc_mnc(guint8 *out, const char *mcc, const char *mnc)
+{
+	char str[7] = "ffffff";
+
+	str[0] = mcc[0];
+	str[1] = mcc[1];
+	if (mcc[2])
+		str[2] = mcc[2];
+
+	str[4] = mnc[0];
+	str[5] = mnc[1];
+	if (mnc[2])
+		str[3] = mnc[2];
+
+	encode_bcd_number(str, out);
+}
+
 static gint spdi_operator_compare(gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
 {
 	const struct spdi_operator *opa = a;
diff --git a/src/simutil.h b/src/simutil.h
index 8b0e3714..9425ba6b 100644
--- a/src/simutil.h
+++ b/src/simutil.h
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ const struct sim_eons_operator_info *sim_eons_lookup(struct sim_eons *eons,
 void sim_eons_free(struct sim_eons *eons);
 
 void sim_parse_mcc_mnc(const guint8 *bcd, char *mcc, char *mnc);
+void sim_encode_mcc_mnc(guint8 *out, const char *mcc, const char *mnc);
 struct sim_spdi *sim_spdi_new(const guint8 *tlv, int length);
 gboolean sim_spdi_lookup(struct sim_spdi *spdi,
 				const char *mcc, const char *mnc);