Counterpoint says more than nine billion eSIM-capable devices will be shipped by 2030. By that time, almost 70% of cellular devices will have eSIM or iSIM (integrated SIM) instead of physical SIM card slots.
The accelerated growth in eSIM adoption represents a vast opportunity. If you’re a mobile network operator (MNO), a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), aggregator (MVNA) or enabler (MVNE), an enterprise, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or technology solutions provider, read on. Learn about the three currently existing eSIM specifications to inquire about support with your preferred eSIM provider.
1. The Consumer Specification
The consumer RSP solution is the specification for eSIM-capable smartphones and consumer devices. It follows a client-driven or pull model; the device requests operator profiles, determines which to download and selects which to activate and use.
The consumer eSIM specification has four components. They are the following:
Subscription Management Data Preparation Plus or SM-DP+
The SM-DP+ server combines the subscription management data preparation (SM-DP) and subscription management secure routing (SM-SR) functions. In other words, it creates, enables, disables, updates, deletes, and protects operator credentials and profiles.
Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card or eUICC
The eUICC lives in the device, particularly in the eSIM ecosystem. It’s hardware, also known as the eSIM chip, that stores operator profiles.
Local Profile Assistant or LPA
The LPA gives device users access to the eSIM chip or eUICC, enabling them to download eSIM profiles to the eUICC and manage the profiles stored there.
Subscription Management Discovery Service or SM-DS
The SM-DS is optional. It’s where the SM-DP+ sends alerts about available profiles for a device to download. The LPA regularly polls the SM-DS to see if a profile is available for its device, eUICC.
2. The M2M Specification
M2M devices can be tiny, lack a user interface, cannot use the hypertext transfer protocol for data transfers, and have limited storage, bandwidth and power. Such primitive or basic M2M equipment is incapable of pulling eSIM profiles to the eUICC and updating those already on it.
Thus, the M2M specification follows a push model. Built for enterprises and industries, it is designed to enable point-to-point connectivity among machines, sensors and equipment deployed in factories, oil fields, trucks, warehouses, ships, etc.
The M2M eSIM specification has three elements. They are the following:
SM-DP
The SM-DP is the subscription management data preparation server. It performs the same functions as the SM-DP+ but lacks the latter’s secure routing functions. Specifically, it prepares, stores, and protects operator profiles and credentials. In other words, it is responsible for preparing the eSIM profiles to be downloaded to the M2M device’s eUICC.
SM-SR
The subscription management secure routing server handles profile status management (enabling, disabling and deleting profiles) on the eUICC and ensures a secure link between the SM-DP and the eUICC.
eUICC
The eUICC stores subscription profiles and serves the same function as the eUICC on consumer devices’ eSIMs.
3. The IoT Specification
Internet of Things (IoT) devices, like M2M devices, enable automated data collection and operations in factories, oil fields and other places. Unlike M2M devices, however, IoT devices generally communicate with a server and require internet connectivity to do so.
The IoT eSIM specification was created to accommodate IoT communications’ unique needs and requirements. Essentially, it combines the pull model of the consumer specification and the push model of the M2M specification to create a hybrid solution that makes eSIM connectivity flexible and accessible to both constrained and non-constrained IoT devices.
The IoT specification has the following components:
SM-DP+
The IoT eSIM specification uses SM-DP+, which combines the SM-DP and SM-SR functions in one server. This simplifies remote SIM provisioning for IoT devices.
Like the consumer specification, any SM-DP+ and eUICC may communicate as long as they share the same public key infrastructure (PKI) certificate. In the M2M specification, only a single SM-SR is authorised to establish a connection with an eUICC. This severely complicates integration and ties companies to a single service provider.
eUICC
IoT eSIMs also have an eUICC or eSIM chip that stores subscription profiles.
IoT Profile Assistant or IPA
The IoT profile assistant (IPA) serves the same function as the local profile assistant in consumer eSIM devices. The IPA resides on the device or the eUICC and enables downloading and storing subscription profiles.
eSIM IoT Remote Manager or eIM
The eIM is an external software that liaises with the SM-DP+, an optional SM-DS, the IPA, and the eUICC. It enables push and pull operations so that devices capable of downloading and managing profiles can do so, while constrained devices get their profiles pushed to them instead.
Moving Forward With eSIM
The accelerated adoption of eSIM technology is a trend MNOs, MVNOs, MVNAs, MVNEs, OEMs, enterprises, and technology companies can ride to innovate new communications solutions and activate new markets. However, to take advantage of this trend, they must have a remote SIM provisioning platform that will enable them to provide eSIM connectivity and services across devices, locations, markets, vendors, and channels.