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ALBIN FRIDH Printed by Tryckeriet i E-huset, Lund 2020 Printed by Tryckeriet eSIM Re-Selling on Mobile App ALBIN FRIDH MASTER´S THESIS DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FACULTY OF ENGINEERING | LTH | LUND UNIVERSITY eSIM Re-Selling on Mobile App on Mobile eSIM Re-Selling Series of Master’s theses Department of Electrical and Information Technology LUND 2020 LU/LTH-EIT 2020-760 http://www.eit.lth.se eSIM Re-Selling on Mobile App Albin Fridh [email protected] Department of Electrical and Information Technology Lund University Supervisors: Stefan Höst (EIT) and Tibor Rathonyi (CellRebel) Examiner: Maria Kihl May 29, 2020 c 2020 Printed in Sweden Tryckeriet i E-huset, Lund Abstract In recent years many devices such as smartphones, smart watches and laptops have started being equipped with embedded SIM cards called eSIM, which have the possibility to be reprogrammed with new subscription data through a process called remote SIM provisioning. To enable the eSIM in these devices, the mobile operators have had to implement new systems for the remote SIM provisioning process, and most of the research around this process has focused on security, leaving other areas unexplored. Therefore, in this master’s thesis the possibility for a 3rd party to be able to use eSIM and to take the role as re-seller of eSIM subscriptions for consumer devices on a mobile app has been explored by studying the existing eSIM and remote SIM provisioning specifications along with the specifications of the most commonly used mobile operating systems, Android and iOS. The findings were that there is nothing in the eSIM standard that prevents 3rd parties from re-selling eSIM subscriptions for the mobile operators, but that there are some obstacles in both the Android and iOS operating systems as they need carrier privileges or eSIM access entitlements respectively to be able to access the APIs that handles the eSIM in the device. Based on this research two different solutions, depending on whether the app has the possibility to gain the carrier privileges or eSIM access entitlements or not, were proposed. From these, an architecture for re-selling eSIM subscriptions was developed together with a proof of concept on the client part of the proposed solution in the form of an app for Android devices. Keywords - eSIM, embedded SIM, eUICC, RSP, Remote SIM Provisioning. i ii Popular Science Summary How a 3rd Party Company Can Use eSIM for Consumer Devices The SIM card, a thing that most people use every day, perhaps without even thinking about it, is slowly starting to disappear. The introduction of the embedded SIM (eSIM), a SIM card that is built directly into a device (such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.), is making the old SIM card obsolete. This new technology implies new challenges for the mobile operators as they have to readjust to a new system, but it might at the same time be an opportunity for new players to take a place in the mobile communications ecosystem. Imagine if it were possible to with has created a profile in the SM-DP+ just a few clicks be able to compare server, it will be uniquely identified by a and instantly switch between different so-called activation code. The end user mobile carriers and subscription plans. can then enter this activation code into With eSIM this is becoming a reality! their device to download and install the In contrast to regular SIM cards where profile. In this process there no longer a change of carrier can take some time as exists a physical component as it does you have to get a new SIM card to phys- with SIM cards, which raises the ques- ically change it in your device, a change tion, will it still be possible for a 3rd of carrier with the use of eSIM can be al- party to re-sell eSIM subscriptions for most instant. The eSIM profile, which is the carriers like it is possible to re-sell the collective name for all the data and physical SIM cards today? applications that would normally have The master’s thesis eSIM Re-Selling been put on the physical SIM card, is on Mobile App has looked into this ques- simply downloaded and installed on the tion and the short answer is yes, it is device over the network through a pro- indeed possible, but there are a few ob- cess called remote SIM provisioning. In stacles. As the main use of eSIM for short, this process involves four entities; consumer devices is for mobile phones, the mobile operator, a server controlled the focus has been on how a re-selling by the operator where the profiles are solution could work together with a mo- created and downloaded from (called an bile app. What was found is that there SM-SP+ server), a device with an eSIM, is nothing in the specifications of eSIM and the end user. When the operator or the download process that prevents a iii 3rd party from being a re-seller. How- solution there is a back-end server where ever, the challenges lie in the two most the activation codes for all the different commonly used mobile operating sys- eSIM plans from the partaking carriers tems, Android and iOS. In both An- are stored. The app can then commu- droid and iOS, the download and instal- nicate with the back-end to let the user lation of an eSIM profile is performed buy and download one of the activation through a set of functions where the pro- codes. When running low, the back- file to download is specified by its activa- end server could request new activation tion code. The problem for a 3rd party codes from the carriers. This process is is that these functions are protected in a quite like the one existing in a physi- way that only an app made by the car- cal store that sells prepaid SIM cards. rier owning the eSIM profile could use The back-end server is like the store, them. In iOS, the only way of being the carriers supply this store with SIM able to use these functions is by getting cards (activation codes) and the cus- approval from Apple. In Android how- tomer (the user of the app) can browse ever, it is possible to gain this access the store and buy one of the SIM cards solely from cooperation with the carrier (download an activation code). Once in question. However, regardless if these the activation code is downloaded, the functions can be used by the app or not, app could also download and install the it is always possible to let the end user profile if it is able to access the func- manually start the download from the tions previously discussed. If it cannot, eSIM settings on the device. then the user can be instructed on how Based on these findings an architec- to manually start the download through ture for a 3rd party eSIM re-selling so- the eSIM settings. lution was developed. In the proposed iv Acknowledgements I would like to give thanks to CellRebel where the project was carried out, and my supervisor Tibor Rathonyi for giving me this opportunity and for his commitment and guidance during the project. I would also like to thank Maria Kihl from the department of Electrical and In- formation Technology at Lund University for all her help and invaluable feedback and comments on both the project and the academic process. Lastly, and above all, I would like to thank my wife Ellinor for all her love and support and for keeping me going these past few months. Without you, this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you. Albin Fridh v vi Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Motivation ............................... 1 1.2 Project Aims and Challenges ...................... 1 1.3 Approach ................................ 2 1.4 Thesis Overview ............................ 3 2 Related Work 5 2.1 From SIM to eSIM ........................... 5 2.2 eSIM in M2M Communication ..................... 7 2.3 Security ................................. 9 2.4 Carriers Views on eSIM ......................... 11 3 eSIM Ecosystem for Consumer Devices 13 3.1 eUICC Architecture ........................... 13 3.2 Remote SIM Provisioning Architecture ................ 15 3.3 Procedures ............................... 19 3.4 Devices Supporting eSIM ........................ 22 3.5 Operators Supporting eSIM ...................... 22 3.6 Existing Solutions ............................ 24 4 Android and eSIM 25 4.1 SDK ................................... 25 4.2 App Components ............................ 25 4.3 Intents ................................. 27 4.4 App Manifest .............................. 27 4.5 Security in Android ........................... 27 4.6 eSIM in Android ............................ 29 5 iOS and eSIM 33 5.1 SDK ................................... 33 5.2 Xcode .................................. 34 5.3 UIKit .................................. 34 5.4 Entitlements .............................. 35 5.5 eSIM in iOS ............................... 36 vii 6 Proposed eSIM Re-Selling Solution 37 6.1 Limitations and Challenges ....................... 37 6.2 Two Possible Solutions ......................... 38 6.3 Interface to MNOs and MVNOs .................... 40 6.4 Interface With eSIM in Device ..................... 42 6.5 End User Interface ........................... 42 6.6 Back-End Server and Security ..................... 43 6.7 Process Workflow ............................ 45 6.8 Customer Journeys ........................... 46 7 Proof of Concept 49 7.1 Implemented Solution ......................... 49 7.2 Methodology .............................. 49 7.3 System Design ............................. 50 8 Evaluation and Discussion 53 8.1 Downloading eSIM Profile From 3rd Party Mobile App ........ 53 8.2 Does the Solution Make It Easier for the Consumer? ......... 54 8.3 Unsolved Issues ............................. 54 9 Conclusions 57 9.1 eSIM Re-Selling ............................. 57 9.2 Future Work .............................. 57 References 59 viii List of Figures and Tables Figures: 3.1 Overview of an eUICC containing two profiles [15]. .......... 13 3.2 Overview of the RSP system.

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