eSIM

eSIM

An SIM chip." data-category="Application">eSIM (embedded SIM), technically an eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card), is a reprogrammable SIM chip that is soldered directly onto a device's circuit board rather than inserted as a removable card. The eSIM can securely download, store, and switch between multiple mobile network operator profiles without physical SIM swapping, enabling remote provisioning over the internet or cellular network.

eSIM Architecture

The eSIM platform consists of on-device and network-side components working together:

The eUICC chip is a Secure Element containing an ISD-R (Issuer Security Domain - Root) that manages the profile lifecycle. Each operator profile is a complete virtual SIM containing IMSI, Ki, OPc, file system, and network access applications — equivalent to the contents of a physical SIM card.

Consumer vs M2M Provisioning

The GSMA defines two RSP (Remote SIM Provisioning) architectures:

eSIM vs Physical SIM

Standards and Certification

eSIM technology is governed by GSMA specifications (SGP.21, SGP.22, SGP.32) and ETSI standards (TS 102 221, TS 131 102). eUICC chips require Common Criteria certification (typically EAL 4+ or 5+) and manufacturers must obtain GSMA SAS accreditation. The SM-DP+ platform is certified under GSMA SAS-SM (Subscription Management) security requirements.

iSIM: The Next Step

iSIM (Integrated SIM) takes the eSIM concept further by embedding SIM functionality directly into the device's system-on-chip (SoC), eliminating the need for a separate eSIM chip entirely. This reduces cost and size for massive IoT deployments while maintaining Secure Element grade security through a hardware-isolated partition in the SoC.