The Future of eSIM
With 5G around the corner promising massive increases in mobile network capacity and speed, there is mounting excitement about a future where wireless connectivity becomes the norm, where every type of device imaginable remains on grid all of the time and enjoys the flexibility of staying connected wherever it goes.
The evolution of eSIM will be crucial to achieving such a vision of anytime, anyplace seamless connectivity. As things stand, how you link network resources to eSIM profiles to individual devices still presents a barrier. With remote provisioning of network services, for example, there is the issue of how and where the device connects to a network to download its eSIM profile in the first place, before it is ‘officially’ activated on a network.
There are at present three main models for activating network services remotely via eSIM, none of which fully achieve the ambition of seamless, always-on global connectivity.
There are three main models for activating network services remotely via e-SIM, none of which fully achieve the ambition of seamless, always-on global connectivity.
One is the use of a QR code which contains the operator’s Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SMDP+) platform address and therefore allows the eSIM profile to be downloaded once scanned. The limitations of this method are that it requires a new code to be purchased and scanned every time you want to change network service, therefore creating a point of friction similar to buying a new SIM card, and it only works for devices capable of scanning QR codes (e.g. smartphones with cameras).
Another method is to have the SMDP+ platform pre-provisioned in the eUICC built into the device, which is then activated as soon as the device is switched on. But this requires a level of collaboration between operators and OEMs which is not yet widespread and, until something like a mobile service app store becomes commonplace for switching providers, it could also lead to provider lock in.
The third option is what is known as the GSMA Subscription Management Root Discovery Service (SM-DS). Under this system, devices and subscriptions are purchased separately but are matched according to the user’s credentials via the digital SM-DS database. When the device is first switched on, it automatically retrieves the corresponding eSIM profile it has been matched with. While this approach appears to be the most digitally sophisticated of the three, Dialog’s Amila Saputhanthri points out that the integration requirements between, for example, different operator profiles are still very complex.
Ultimately, it appears that the most viable solutions to achieving seamless initial activation and then maintaining on-going flexibility in new service provisioning will be found, as Gregory Gundelfinger advocates, in cloud-based ‘Network-as-a-Service’ solutions. This summer, Gemalto announced a new Instant Connect service, a web-based platform which presents an automated solution to service activation without any need to scan codes, connect via WiFi or Bluetooth, or use bootstrap options.
The most viable solutions to achieving seamless initial activation and then maintaining on-going flexibility in new service provisioning will be found in cloud-based ‘Network-as-a-Service’ solutions.
And for Gregory Gundelfinger, it is service management platforms which are best placed to drive the kind of seamless connectivity experience which will drive demand for e-SIM. “The multi-network ability and Multi-IMSI connectivity hubs provided by companies such as Telna allows end users to automatically choose the best possible cellular network and switch any time required, without physically swapping SIM cards,” he said. “This is transforming the industry and expanding the wide range of connected devices globally.”
