February 23, 2023 – The global industry association Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) has announced the launch of an eSIM interoperability service to promote greater trust across the entire eSIM ecosystem. Delivered by testing solutions provider COMPRION, the new service enables mobile and other network operators to test how their eSIM profiles interact with a wide range of consumer eSIM devices. This will help identify and address individual compatibility and interoperability issues.
The eSIM ecosystem is enabled by an established infrastructure and global specifications, and all individual eSIM products and components are thoroughly tested prior to implementation. However, due to variations in the interpretation and implementation of industry specifications, some interoperability issues only arise when solutions are deployed live in the field and interact with other participants and components throughout the ecosystem. Consequently, an insufficiently tested eSIM profile may not be compatible with a specific device on the market. This affects consumer trust and has business and reputational costs for eSIM industry players.
By curating a test portfolio of eSIM devices currently deployed on the market, including smartphones, wearables, tablets and laptops, TCA’s eSIM Interoperability Service, powered by COMPRION, helps operators address this challenge by testing proactively make your eSIM profiles interoperable with a wide variety of off-the-shelf devices prior to deployment. This is particularly beneficial for Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators with more limited resources for comprehensive internal testing.
The service is also expected to evolve to support additional test scenarios that will allow eSIM subscription management providers (SM-DP+) and eSIM consumer device manufacturers to improve interoperability and compatibility of their respective services and products.
“As a global industry association, TCA has a proven pedigree spanning decades of promoting interoperability across the entire SIM ecosystem and is committed to supporting the development of eSIM technology,” comments Claus Dietze, TCA Board Chairman. “The launch of this industry-led testing initiative will help operators address and mitigate individual interoperability challenges. As eSIM awareness and adoption continues to increase, this is key to promoting consumer confidence and harnessing the full transformative potential of the technology.”
Marcus Dormanns, Senior Innovation Manager, COMPRION adds: “We are proud to partner with TCA to provide the eSIM Interoperability Service. For maximum flexibility and convenience, testing can be done self-service, either on-site at COMPRION or remotely. Our team of experts can also carry out tests independently, and the customer receives a full test report.”
This initiative complements TCA’s extensive engagement and collaboration with various industry bodies to promote a secure, interoperable and scalable eSIM ecosystem. This includes the GSMA, the global organization representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, which develops and publishes global standards for the development and secure operation of eSIM in consumer and IoT devices.
“GSMA is very pleased to see the emergence of a service that promotes interoperability between eSIM hardware, carrier profiles and servers,” comments Ian Pannell, GSMA Chief Engineer. “With the emergence of eSIM-only smartphones in some markets, this service is essential for consumer confidence.”
For more information, please contact [email protected] and visit the TCA and COMPRION websites.
