Communications

Software solves complexity of eUICC testing

27th July 2016
Mick Elliott
0

Comprion has launched a new software solution for interoperability testing: COMPRION Network Bridge. It facilitates the complex processing of remote administration scenarios in a lab environment using a controlled and lightweight setup. The SIM card – the secure element in mobile communication which is used for authentication and identification within the network – will be increasingly replaced by the eUICC, an embedded SIM that is firmly soldered into mobile devices.

The first connected services are launched, and eUICCs are starting to be actually used in cars and smart watches. Some of them are still based on proprietary standards. Therefore, the need for making the technology reliable and interoperable becomes greater than ever before. The GSMA has issued specifications for remote provisioning procedures in M2M and consumer devices.

Testing of eSIM provisioning, and changing the operator are very complex. Both involve a variety of components, like eUICC, mobile device, mobile network, and different servers such as MNO, SM-DP, and SM-SR.

In order to change the profile that contains the credentials for the mobile network access, SM-SR and SM-DP servers need to interact with the eUICC. 

Jens Christoph, in charge of eUICC M2M test solutions at Comprion, explains, “COMPRION Network Bridge provides a direct connection between an (e)UICC and back end server without the need for a real device or a real or simulated mobile network. This makes the work of (e)UICC manufacturers, MNOs, SM-DP, and SM-SR providers a lot easier. The test effort is reduced significantly, because there is no need for a network simulator, and the testing limitations of a real or simulated network do not apply. At the same time, the usage of COMPRION Network Bridge remains as close as possible to the real-world scenario, supporting all necessary communication protocols.”

Comprion Network Bridge can be configured to support both GSMA specifications, beginning with M2M and followed by consumer devices. It comes with simulations of the essential network components as well as simulated mobile equipment or other parts of the devices like a local profile assistant (LPA) for consumer devices.

No further equipment is required to enable anyone working with accessible eUICCs to quickly connect an SM-SR/SM-DP(+) or OTA server to a card and perform remote SIM provisioning (RSP) or remote file/application management (RFM/RAM).

Logs of such transactions are displayed in a well-structured UI. They can be processed and analysed even further in Comprion's popular monitoring software, Interoperability Test Center, including the OTA remote management translator.

It will be much easier to analyse and understand remote provisioning APDUs. Soon, it will be possible to automate and integrate frequent test scenarios into existing test solutions using a new programming interface.

Hajo Sandschneider, Marketing Director at Comprion says that customers are already buying the Network Brdige before its official launch.

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