eSIM – a programmable SIM which is embedded directly on the device. This improves reliability and security in contrast to the existing physical cards.
As per GSMA defined 2 solutions. M2M and Consumer model
Machine to Machine:
Here device operates without any human intervention and backend infrastructure is supported and taken care by the service provider. it can identify which profile to be downloaded depending on which country device is in. examples of M2M devices are smart meters, vending machines etc.
Consumer model:
This is in complete control of humans, it runs based on the user choice and instructions given which need to be supported but the service provider. we focus on the consumer model as it plays a important role in day to day life. Below image shows its mechanism.
GSMA which is standard body defined this rules and regulations which need to be deployed for eSIM and ability to remotely provision the eUICCs. they also define profiles like below.
- Bootstrap profile – enables the device to access the mobile network for the first instance during profile provisioning. it supports very few operations due to is limited data access like esim profile download and provisioning and to support OTA operations.(over the air)
- Operational profile – This is the active profile until user changes/switches to the different profile. This helps accessing the service provider network for operational reasons like data, making calls, video calls etc.
In a nutshell, bootstrap is fixed profile and provided by the sim makers like GnD, Idemia to name few across globe whereas operational profile keeps changing based on user interest. it is like changing a physical card from one operator to another.
Source: Any GSMA RSP SGP spec
