FAQ

Table of Content

• What are the eSIM benefits for device manufacturers?
• With OPTIGA™ Connect solution, do I need to buy the product and the connectivity separately? Why not in one package?
• What is the difference between a removable SIM and an eSIM (embedded SIM)?
• Can the same eUICC product be used in both IoT and consumer products, and can the same RSP system be used for both types of products?
• What kind of system is required to provision the eSIM?
• What is the role of the cellular modem during RSP operation?
• What is BIP and its role in the context of RSP
• Are there any specific requirements on the modem that already support uSIM to support eSIM?

What are the eSIM benefits for device manufacturers?

In the M2M & IoT markets, eSIM can offer significant benefits, not least of which is the ability to more easily swap connectivity providers. Networks can be selected after the production, shipment and deployment of connected devices, thus bringing flexibility in choosing the best option for a destination country and taking into account factors including cost, coverage and regulatory requirements.

Advantages include

• Increased design flexibility due to the eSIM’s small footprint
• Elimination of the need for a separate SIM slot
• Simplified logistics and global distribution thanks to a single stock keeping unit

With OPTIGA™ Connect solution, do I need to buy the product and the connectivity separately? Why not in one package?

Yes, we have made the choice to offer both services separately to avoid stack margins and offer competitive price but also to allow our customer to define and contract with Tata the exact connectivity fitting to its use case.
This would not have been possible by integrating a (fixed) data plan into the product.

What is the difference between a removable SIM and an eSIM (embedded SIM)?

Any kind of device that is connected to a cellular network requires a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module). The SIM is usually provided by the mobile network provider and allows to securely identifying the device towards the network for accessing mobile communication services.
The removable SIM as well as embedded SIM solutions are standardized by 3GPP and ETSI.
SIM-based cellular connectivity also provides comprehensive security by authenticating devices securely towards their networks, and by encrypting data. So far, mainly removable SIM cards have been in use and provided in various form factors up to nanoSIMs. Infineon has been supplying security chips for these solutions for more than 20 years.
Compared to them, an embedded SIM is soldered directly on the device and cannot be removed. This provides a number of advantages that will be elaborated further below.
With the possibility of embedding the SIM into devices by soldering, new means were necessary which allow switching from one Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to another. This has been addressed by introducing the technology of “Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP)”, which allows changing the MNO subscription securely over-the-air. SIMs that are supporting this technology are called eSIMs. RSP has been specified by the GSMA.

Can the same eUICC product be used in both IoT and consumer products, and can the same remote SIM provisioning system be used for both types of product?

There are two distinct architectures and specifications for the M2M and consumer type of devices. The M2M specification is used for a fleet of devices controlled by a single entity (ex: OEM, Fleet manager, SI) while the consumer eUICC is used when the device user is the one choosing the MNO.
The same eUICC cannot be used for both types of products.

What kind of system is required to provision the eSIM?

The eSIM comes with a pre-provisioned default profile that can be used to get a temporary network access to later on download an operational profile over the air through a subscription management system. The subscription management system is composed on the one hand side of a Data Preparation server (SM-DP) usually owned by the MNO responsible for preparing the eSIM specific profile (with network credentials) and in the other hand a routing server (SM-SR) which will inform the eSIM that a profile is ready to be downloaded. The device OEM, System integrator (SI) or the MNO owns that latter part.

What is the role of the cellular modem during RSP operation?

The modem shall provide connectivity, shall support SMS-MT and SMS-MO, shall support BIP for the profile download and shall support the required SIM toolkit commands so that the expected logic for profile enable, fallback, rollback, etc. can be supported. More information at Annex G of SGP.02.    

What is BIP and its role in the context of RSP

eUICC ecosystem for M2M (as defined in GSMA SGP.02) requires that the device supports BIP (Bearer Independent Protocol) technology for profile provisioning on an interoperable eUICC card. ETSI TS 102 223 is the corresponding standard that defines BIP. BIP is used in order to have IP connectivity between the Subscription Manager and the eUICC. Over that IP connectivity, two layers of secure channels are established so the MNO’s critical information is protected end-to-end from Subscription Manager to eUICC.

Are there any specific requirements on the modem that already support uSIM to support eSIM?

The complete set of requirements is included in Annex G of SGP.02