Last year we announced a partnership with Trasna Solutions to deliver eSIM management for cellular routers.
Trasna is a leading supplier of SIM Cards and industrial SIM modules supporting both UICC and eUICC – and, as part of the partnership, Telecom26’s R&D team developed a Local Profile Assistant on device (LPAd) which is now integrated with Trasna’s eUICC SIMs that are used to provide connectivity for routers.
You might be asking why this is interesting and important so here goes…
LPA for “consumer eSIM” is the built-in software which is widely used in eSIM-compatible smartphones (iPhones and Android phones). It enables the user to Download/Enable/Disable/Delete eSIM profiles.
Routers don’t have this capability because they are not considered as consumer devices but rather as M2M devices.
However, key to the success of continued eSIM adoption by router manufacturers will be the ability for organisations to remotely manage the connectivity and service levels available to individual eSIMs.
The GSMA originally released an “M2M eSIM” specification to address specific IoT/M2M devices & use cases. Unfortunately, this standard has not been widely adopted due to its complexity and high initiation costs.
So recently the GSMA released a hybrid eSIM IoT specification but naturally it will take time to have certified devices/platforms in the market.
In the meantime, many players in the market are now wanting to use the “eSIM Consumer” approach for their routers. This means that a dedicated LPA compatible with the OpenWRT operating system of routers must be built.
Telecom26, Trasna, routers and eSIMs
Telecom26 recognised the eSIM/router issue early on and expanded its existing eSIM management solution – that includes LPAd capability - to include routers that use Trasna’s eUICC SIMs.
The Telecom26 LPAd Solution offers router manufacturers a competitive edge in a market where ease of use and customer satisfaction are of utmost importance. It could also be important in the context of the rapidly growing market for IoT devices, as well as the increasing demand for eSIMs in the IoT and connected devices space.
What would you need to install the LPAd in your routers:
- A Telecom26/Trasna eUICC card.
- The LPAd software from Telecom26.
- An OpenWRT capable (Linux operating system) router. Most routers support OpenWRT.
Of course, using a Telecom26 eSIM brings other advantages which you can read about here including:
- Coverage from over 650 mobile operators in more than 200 countries.
- The ability to seamlessly switch between networks to find the best coverage available or conversely an optimised least cost roaming and routing service.
Still a bit confused about whether your routers need LPA…
Get in touch to find out more
Our team of global connectivity experts will be out in force at this year’s Mobile World Congress at the end of the month, so if you’d like to meet up to discuss LPAd – and/or IoT, global and maritime connectivity - then please book a meeting.
But, if you’re not going to MWC, or would like to have a video call before then please also get in touch.
