{"id":56452,"date":"2021-03-16T12:59:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T19:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=56452"},"modified":"2021-03-25T12:50:10","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T19:50:10","slug":"remote-sim-provisioning-and-iot-implementations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/remote-sim-provisioning-and-iot-implementations\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote SIM provisioning and IoT implementations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Over the last decade, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged from just a mere concept into a reality, and now there are billions of IoT devices and sensors deployed all over the world. By 2024, it is expected that the total number of <\/span>connected IoT devices will reach 83 billion<\/span><\/a>, up from around 35 billion devices in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even today, a lot of these devices are being deployed in remote, hard-to-reach locations, and some IoT networks can include thousands, if not tens of thousands interconnected devices in them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In such cases, provisioning a brand new device into the network can be extremely time-consuming and costly, and this is why remote SIM provisioning or RSP is now becoming a necessity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Remote SIM Provisioning?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) is a specification developed by <\/span>GSMA<\/span><\/a> for machine-to-machine connections. As the name suggests, RSP allows users to <\/span>remotely<\/span><\/i> activate the SIM in a device\/machine. This device can be a smartphone, smartwatch, wearables, and others, but RSP is most commonly used for provisioning IoT devices and sensors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With this specification, we can streamline the process of provisioning an M2M service, and also allow a single user to have multiple network operators in just one SIM card, potentially for different services like one for data service and another for roaming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RSP is actually one of the different features or aspects included in the relatively new eSIM (embedded SIM) technology, and we can\u2019t properly explain RSP without first discussing eSIM, which we will discuss below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an eSIM?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

eSIM is a relatively new form of SIM to replace the traditional SIM card you most likely still have in your smartphone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module, and its main function is to store your identity as a network provider\u2019s subscriber so this network provider can provide the service\/connection you\u2019ve subscribed to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For decades, the SIM has come in the form of a plastic card in several different sizes (micro, nano, etc.), but an eSIM, as the name suggests, is <\/span>embedded<\/span><\/i> or soldered into the device itself in the form of a very small chip.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the key advantages of this eSIM design is RSP. A physical SIM card typically can only store single identity information from a single network provider. For example, you won\u2019t be able to use a Verizon SIM card to access the T-Mobile network and vice versa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meaning, if you want to switch providers, you\u2019ll need to replace the SIM card with a new one from the new provider.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The thing is, if we are only doing this for a single device (i.e. our smartphone), then this probably won\u2019t be a major issue. However, imagine replacing thousands of SIM cards for your IoT devices when you are switching to a new network provider. Not only is this time-consuming, but the replacement cost can be very high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where\u00a0 RSP can significantly help, especially in large-scale IoT deployments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With the RSP function, the eSIM can download different identification data from different network providers, and so we can easily switch between different network providers via an application\/software (where the IoT device is managed remotely) without needing to replace the SIM card anytime you switch between different networks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RSP is also useful for IoT applications that need to switch to different networks in different countries, for example, autonomous vehicles that move between different countries. In such cases, an eSIM data plan that offers global coverage and can seamlessly switch between networks in different geographical locations can significantly help. Truphone for Things data plans, for example, offer coverage in 188 countries while also offering full RSP support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

eSIM and RSP\u2019s Effect on IoT Connectivity<\/strong><\/h4>\n

With what we\u2019ve discussed above, there are three key improvements provided by the eSIM technology and RSP specification in IoT connectivity:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n