小程序
传感搜
传感圈

Simplifying eSIM Rollouts for IoT Projects

2022-08-31
关注

Illustration: © IoT For All

Traditionally, IoT device operators and owners have had to change SIM cards to switch network providers. Ultimately, cards are locked into mobile network operators (MNOs) making it difficult to swap networks for commercial reasons or to address operational challenges. If there are only a few SIM cards in the deployment, it may be possible to make the switch. When we have thousands of SIMs in devices in remote locations or around the world, it is much more of a challenge. Consequently, businesses are not benefiting from the commercial opportunities and operational benefits they could get if they were able to switch network profiles seamlessly. This is where eSIMs come in for IoT. For the right business, these solutions are game changers because they introduce the ability to switch network providers without changing out the physical SIM card.

'eSIMs are not locked-in to single vendors and can be provisioned over the air (OTA) which can be beneficial for IoT devices.' -Wireless LogicClick To Tweet

Future-Proof Cellular Connectivity

It could be said that cellular connectivity has outgrown traditional SIM cards because of IoT. Many deployments, including those in oil and gas, manufacturing, and warehousing, operate on an extremely large scale. Some SIMs are housed in difficult-to-reach locations such as inside car dashboards, payment terminals, vending machines, water stations, and e-scooters. The fixed nature of SIM cards to designated MNOs mean these, and other deployments, lack the flexibility to change network provider without considerable inconvenience and cost.

eSIMs are not locked-in to single vendors and can be provisioned over the air (OTA) which can be beneficial for IoT devices. Profiles can be switched for commercial, technical, regulatory, or locational reasons without having to change the SIM. This is helpful for IoT devices deployed in the field for multiple years, as well as those that are manufactured in one country and used across many others. It has the potential to future-proof IoT deployments over time and from a change of ownership.

Streamlining the Supply Chain

SIM cards already facilitate access to other networks in other countries through roaming but that is controlled by the MNO. The business cannot choose which network to connect to and they may incur roaming charges at a premium – especially for IoT applications that use significant amounts of data across multiple regions.

To assist in minimizing the total cost of ownership, eSIMs can be programmed remotely to pick up local networks at local rates. This could be when the device is first deployed or even years later when new commercial options, or new operators, come onto the market. However, eSIM benefits are not confined to potential usage cost savings. There is the potential for major logistical benefits, too.

eSIMs can store multiple profiles which can be pre-loaded during production or downloaded OTA. This means that during the manufacturing process of a device, a single SIM can be embedded so that it connects and downloads a local network in virtually any country across the world. Manufacturers can therefore minimize the number of product stock keeping units (SKUs) required.  When a device ‘wakes up’ in a particular country, the remote SIM provisioning rules engine can identify the location and download (push or pull) the designated profile for that country. This simplifies production and distribution and saves on logistics, manufacturing, and inventory costs, which can be significant.

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

eSIMs have the potential to open up new markets for IoT. The limitations of traditional SIM cards may have ruled out some complex, particularly global, deployments. With the additional freedom afforded by eSIMs, these may become available.

Device makers may serve additional markets and companies may feel more able to commit to deployments that were previously considered too risky due to network sunsetting, data sovereignty, or regulatory challenges in specific regions. Good examples of this are Turkey and Brazil, where permanent roaming is currently restricted by government policy. Being able to download a local MNO profile for devices deployed to these countries helps to address these challenges.

Choosing the Right eSIM Ecosystem

eSIMs have great promise but it’s important to remember that the ecosystem is still developing. There are complex inter-dependencies to be managed between the hardware (the SIM and cellular module), the network services (i.e. data and SMS), the Remote SIM Provisioning servers, and sourcing eSIM profiles from MNOs. In addition to this, not all MNOs have widely available profiles and so navigating profile changes independently can be tricky. This can involve selecting and contracting with a new operator and managing changes to serial (integrated circuit card identification – ICCID) numbers and IP addresses.

When deciding on a service provider, it’s important to validate their level of expertise and influence. Larger providers interact with MNOs regularly and will have leverage when it comes to access to operator profiles. You’ll also want to ensure your IoT device hardware is compatible and that the eSIM is GSMA-compliant for remote SIM provisioning. By working with a service provider that meets the above expertise, you can focus on your core business, safe in the knowledge that your connected applications are secure, efficient, and future-proof.

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

  • Cellular
  • Connectivity
  • Manufacturing
  • Network and Protocols
  • Oil and Gas

  • Cellular
  • Connectivity
  • Manufacturing
  • Network and Protocols
  • Oil and Gas

参考译文
为物联网项目简化eSIM的推出
传统上,物联网设备运营商和所有者必须更换SIM卡来更换网络供应商。最终,卡被锁定在移动网络运营商(MNOs)手中,使得出于商业原因或应对运营挑战的交换网络变得困难。如果部署中只有几张SIM卡,可以进行切换。当我们在遥远的地方或世界各地的设备中拥有成千上万的模拟人生时,这将是一个更大的挑战。因此,如果企业能够无缝切换网络配置文件,他们就不能从商业机会和运营效益中获益。这就是esim参与物联网的地方。对于合适的企业来说,这些解决方案是游戏规则的改变者,因为它们引入了无需更换物理SIM卡就可以更换网络供应商的能力。可以说,由于物联网,蜂窝连接已经超过了传统的SIM卡。许多部署,包括那些在石油和天然气,制造业和仓储,都是一个非常大的规模。有些模拟市民被安置在难以到达的位置,如汽车仪表盘、支付终端、自动售货机、水站和电动滑板车。SIM卡对指定mno的固定性质意味着,这些以及其他部署缺乏灵活性,无法在不带来相当大的不便和成本的情况下更换网络供应商。esim不局限于单个供应商,可以通过OTA进行供应,这对物联网设备非常有利。由于商业、技术、监管或位置原因,可以切换配置文件,而无需更改SIM。这对于在现场部署多年的物联网设备,以及那些在一个国家制造并在许多其他国家使用的设备都有帮助。随着时间的推移和所有权的变更,它有可能实现面向未来的物联网部署。SIM卡已经可以方便用户通过漫游访问其他国家的其他网络,但这是由MNO控制的。企业无法选择连接到哪个网络,他们可能会产生高额的漫游费——尤其是对于在多个地区使用大量数据的物联网应用程序。为了帮助最大限度地降低总拥有成本,可以对esim进行远程编程,以本地费率获取本地网络。这可能是当设备首次部署时,甚至数年后新的商业选择或新的运营商进入市场时。然而,eSIM的好处并不局限于潜在的使用成本节约。这也有可能带来重大的后勤效益。eSIMs可以存储多个配置文件,可以在生产期间预加载或下载OTA。这意味着,在设备的制造过程中,只需嵌入一张SIM卡,就可以连接和下载世界上几乎任何国家的本地网络。因此,制造商可以尽量减少所需的产品库存单位(sku)的数量。当一台设备在一个特定的国家“醒来”时,远程SIM配置规则引擎可以识别该位置并下载(推或拉)该国家的指定配置文件。这简化了生产和分销,节省了物流、制造和库存成本,这是非常重要的。esim具有为物联网开辟新市场的潜力。传统SIM卡的局限性可能已经排除了一些复杂的部署,尤其是全球部署。随着esim提供的额外自由,这些可能成为可用的。 设备制造商可能会为更多的市场提供服务,公司可能会觉得更有能力投入到以前由于网络老化、数据主权或特定地区的监管挑战而被认为风险过高的部署中。土耳其和巴西就是很好的例子,在这两个国家,永久漫游目前受到政府政策的限制。能够下载部署到这些国家的设备的本地MNO配置文件有助于解决这些挑战。esim前景广阔,但重要的是要记住,生态系统仍在发展中。在硬件(SIM卡和蜂窝模块)、网络服务(即数据和短信)、远程SIM供应服务器和从MNOs来源eSIM配置文件之间有复杂的相互依赖关系需要管理。除此之外,并不是所有的MNOs都有广泛可用的配置文件,因此独立导航配置文件的变化可能会很棘手。这可能涉及选择和签约一个新的运营商,并管理串行(集成电路标识- ICCID)数字和IP地址的变化。在决定服务提供商时,确认他们的专业水平和影响力是很重要的。规模较大的供应商会定期与跨国公司进行互动,在获取运营商资料方面具有优势。您还需要确保您的物联网设备硬件是兼容的,并且eSIM是gsm兼容的,用于远程SIM配置。通过与满足上述专业知识的服务提供商合作,您可以专注于您的核心业务,因为您知道所连接的应用程序是安全、高效和面向未来的。
您觉得本篇内容如何
评分

评论

您需要登录才可以回复|注册

提交评论

提取码
复制提取码
点击跳转至百度网盘