eSIM Deep Dive

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eSIM Deep Dive
Hossein Yavari
@senatelecom

SIM Functions
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• SIM is responsible for:
– Connection between mobile device and
provider
– Storage (IMSI, Network data, Encryption
data and etc.)
© All Rights Reserved

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SIM Card
Evolution
Embedded SIM: eSIM or eUICC

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“Although the role of the SIM itself is not changing, the GSMA has defined a radical
new way to load it into devices. Now the SIM may be securely downloaded into a
‘Secure Element’ that can be permanently embedded inside any type of device.”

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eSIM
Key Characteristics
• eSIM is:
– hardware based
– Non-removable
– Or like the ordinary removable SIM Card
• Remote Provisioning:
– SIM profile is transferred over the air (OTA)
to the device
• eSIM provides easier switch between
operators

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eSIM
Key Characteristics
(Cont.)
• Improvement in customer experience

Stakeholders
Benefits
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• Operators:
– Opens up new market opportunities
– Reduced costs in handling M2M SIM products
– Retains industry leading security levels
– Minimal impact to existing systems and network
infrastructure
– Low integration and testing costs

Stakeholders
Benefits
(Cont.)
10
• SIM Suppliers:
– Opens up wider M2M market opportunities by
providing Embedded SIM infrastructure and
services on a mass market basis
– Add value and flexibility to current SIM products

Stakeholders
Benefits
(Cont.)
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• Business Customers:
– Business opportunities from new M2M connected
services including new deployment models
– Remote service activation enables the up-sell of
connected options after initial sale
– Connectivity management will be more flexible
and cost effective

Stakeholders
Benefits
(Cont.)
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• End Consumers:
– Improved customer experience, products will
work ‘out of the box’
– Lower cost connected products
– Increase in number of valuable connected services

Stakeholders
Benefits
(Cont.)
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• M2M Product Manufacturers:
– Opens up new M2M market opportunities
– Single Stock Keeping Unit at point of manufacture
– Enables flexible global product distribution
– Selection of operator subscription is performed on
first switch on in destination country
– Allows change of operator during the product
lifecycle
– Improved product reliability and longevity through
hermetic sealing -as there is no need to change
the physical SIM

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eSIM
Solutions
• The GSMA has created solutions suited to different
types of channels:
– Consumer solution: for the ‘direct to consumer’
channel, this solution is required where the end user
has direct choice of the operator supplying
connectivity.
– M2M solution: for the ‘business to business to
consumer’ channels, this solution serves the needs
of business to business customers, specifically in the
Internet of Things (IoT) market.

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• Consumer devices: like Cell Phones, watches or
other wearables
• Connected devices or M2M communications:
such as IoT / IoE
eSIM
Solutions
(Cont.)Pull
Model
Push
Model

Involved
Elements
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• eUICC:
– Functionally identical to a traditional SIM
– At manufacture will have a ‘provisioning profile’
assigned with secret keys that allows the
associated subscription manager to download and
manage ‘operational profiles’ on the eUICC
– The technical specification can accommodate both
an initial declaration of the MNO in the eUICC, as
well as the selection of a new MNO later.

Involved
Elements
(Cont.)
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• Subscription Manager:
– Generating SIM profiles in real-time
– Management and execution of MNO policy
– Secure routing profiles to the eUICC

Involved
Elements
(Cont.)
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• MNO:
– Uses subscription manager to manage profiles
– Maximum re-use of existing provisioning interfaces
and processes

RSP
Consumer Architecture

RSP
Consumer Architecture
Elements
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• SM-DP+:
- Profile storage (securely store MNO SIM profiles)
- Manage profiles (Download, Enable or Disable
profiles)
• SM-DS:
- Discovery server for newly available profiles for
each consumer
• LPA
- The Local Profile Assistant is a set of functions in
the device responsible for providing the capability
to download encrypted Profiles to the eUICC.

RSP
M2M Architecture

RSP
M2M Architecture
Elements
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• SM-DP:
- Profile storage (securely store MNO SIM
profiles)
• SM-SR:
- Securing communication channel to eUICC
- Manage profiles (Download, Enable or Disable
profiles)
• OTA Gateway*:
- SMS gateway for secure over the air
communication to eUICC

RSP
M2M vs Consumer
M2M Solution Consumer Solution
Push Model / server-driven
option
Pull Model / client-driven option
Separated roles of SM-DP and
SM-SR
Profile management
operations can be run only
from the back-end
infrastructure side
Data Processing and Secure
Routing consolidated in SM-DP+.
SM-DS as an optional feature
Profile management is initiated
from the local device side

Consumer
RSP Initiation
• QR activation, arguably the most popular option, it’s 2D
barcode format, it contains a Matching ID number and SM-
DP+ address, which are used for reaching a dedicated SM-
DP+ server and downloading a dedicated eSIM profile.
• Default SM-DP+ address, with an eUICC pre-provisioned with
operator’s SM-DP+ address, mostly useful with the operator
subsidized mobile phones market. It is a fully automatic
activation and doesn’t require any interaction from the end-
user except turning on the device itself.
• SM-DS activation, which is useful in situations when an end-
user purchases a mobile device and eSIM subscription
separately.

eSIM Deep Dive

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eSIM Deep Dive