COMPRION GmbH - Experts & Thought Leaders

Comprion and Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) have entered into a partnership to provide mutually validated solutions as well as a development and testing environment for SGP.32 based IoT eSIM solutions. Providers and integrators of SGP.32 IoT eSIM solutions can use this offering to verify, even before market launch, that their products are implemented in compliance with SGP.32 and reliably interoperate with G+D eSIMs – including transparent error analysis in the event of interoperability issues. Security and clarity for a complex IoT ecosystem With the GSMA’s new SGP.32 IoT specification, the remote management of eSIMs in IoT devices is gaining significant importance. At the same time, the technical complexity of the ecosystem is increasing: with the eSIM IoT Remote Manager (eIM), a key new architectural component is being introduced. “We expect to see a number of eIM implementations from companies that are not yet familiar with the technical environment of eSIM/RSP. Deviations from the specification can lead to issues in the field that are difficult to localise – particularly when interoperability is only tested after deployment,” says Dr. Marcus Dormanns, Director Product Management & Business Development at Comprion. Mutually validated testing along the SGP.32 specification Against this backdrop, Comprion – with its longstanding expertise in eSIM test tools – and G+D, the world’s leading full-service provider of eSIMs (eUICCs), eIM, and RSP backend services, are combining their strengths. Both partners have tested their respective components not only individually, but also in joint interoperability tests, thereby establishing the foundation for a practical development and test environment. At the core of the partnership is a test and development environment based on the Comprion Test Tools eUICC Profile Manager and Comprion Network Bridge, together with a G+D Sm@rtSIM Polaris 1.5M SGP.32 eSIM reference test card with integrated IPAe. Interoperability is validated based on a comprehensive test guide jointly defined by both companies. This reference environment enables, for example, the integration and testing of an eIM component. “Interoperability is the foundation for reliable IoT solutions. With the jointly validated reference environment, we support providers in ensuring this compatibility at an early stage – while adding the high security standards that G+D, as a SecurityTech company, is known for,” explains Andreas Morawietz, Global Head of eSIM & Solutions Portfolio at Giesecke+Devrient. Benefits for development, integration and operations The joint test environment is designed for manufacturers of eUICCs, IoT module and device OEMs, SM-DP+ and eIM providers, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), as well as integrators and operators of complex IoT use cases, such as those in the automotive sector. Early pre-validation testing helps reduce integration risks, prevent field failures, and sustainably enhance the reliability of IoT solutions.

The mobile network standardisation body 3GPP introduced two new features – PSM (Power Saving Mode) and eDRX (extended Discontinuous Reception) – minimising power consumption of IoT devices and extending their battery power up to ten years. In IoT applications such as container tracking, intelligent meters, or agriculture sensors, the devices do not need to send or receive data continuously. Oliver Wruck, Director MNTS at Comprion, explains: “Being an important member of the mobile ecosystem, we felt the need to test the UICC interface for devices that support PSM and eDRX in order to prevent unpleasant surprises when the devices go live in mobile networks.” Mobile-terminated traffic In PSM, the device can switch to a sort of power-off mode for an agreed amount of time. If the device must transmit data, it can wake up without the need of reattaching to the network and the necessary signaling. eDRX makes it possible to considerably extend the time interval during which the device is not listening to the network. For mobile-terminated traffic, this feature improves power conservation vastly. 3GPP requires the terminals that implement PSM or eDRX functionality to be thoroughly tested from Release 14 on In order to assure reliable switching between deactivation and activation of the UICC interface, 3GPP requires the terminals that implement PSM or eDRX functionality to be thoroughly tested from Release 14 on. Comprion took the lead with the creation of corresponding test cases. “We have drafted eleven tests for the 3GPP Working Group CT6. With their approval, the tests have become part of the test specifications for 3GPP TS 31.121 and 3GPP TS 31.124,” adds Comprion’s CT6 delegate, Dania Azem. Pre-conformance test solution The validation of the Comprion tests also initiated the activation of two new Global Certification Forum (GCF) work items: WI-301-NB (for NB-IoT devices) and WI-301-M (for LTE CatM1 terminals). Thus, the tests have become part of the GCF certification program. And the North American counterpart PTCRB has also added the tests to their RFTs (Request For Testing), which are the basis for their certification program. The Comprion PSM and eDRX tests for NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 devices can be executed on the GCF/PTCRB-listed test platform 150 (SIMfony LTE CMW500). It consists of the Comprion UT³ Platform (SIM simulator) and the R&S CMW500 network simulator. It is also possible to run these tests during the development phase of a device using the Comprion pre-conformance test solution Prove 2 with R&S CMW500.

During the recent GCF CAG#52 October meeting in Venice, the new work item 249 was activated. This was possible because 100% of the contained test cases were validated on COMPRION test systems. “The work item covers several technologies such as card emulation, Bearer Independent Protocol (BIP), general device support, and Android-specific device support,” says Hajo Sandschneider, Marketing Director at COMPRION. “The referenced test cases are defined in the GSMA TS.27 NFC Handset Test Book. We are proud that 100% of the conformance test cases were validated by GCF so that work item 249 UICC based NFC Services (Rel-9) could be activated.” The new work item extends the test coverage for NFC-related conformance certification criteria in accordance with the conformance test cases defined in various chapters of the GSMA TS.27 document. The newly added test cases reached 100% validation on the COMPRION UT³ Platform listed as TP 118. UT³ Platform is COMPRION’s universal conformance platform for contact-based and contactless terminal testing.