London, UK — SIMalliance has published an updated technical document for mobile network operators (MNOs). It specifies the integrated features required to provide optimal UICC support for LTE network and IMS services deployment. SIMalliance, a global non-profit industry association, aims to simplify secure element (SE) implementation to drive the creation, deployment and management of secure mobile services.
The document, entitled LTE UICC Profile, aims to bring clarity to the parts of current UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) standards that should be considered mandatory by MNOs, together with those that can be regarded as ‘optional’. It is said to complement existing standards from ETSI SCP, 3GPP and GlobalPlatform. The document also addresses some of the key UICC implementation issues relative to LTE (Long Term Evolution to 4th Generation networks) that have been identified by SIMalliance members.
“When deployed over LTE, the UICC is transformed into an IP-connected multi-application platform that creates a mobile environment rich in both opportunities and threats for MNOs,” comments Julien Baudouin, chairman of the LTE Working Group, SIMalliance. “If MNOs want to take full commercial advantage of the opportunities presented by LTE and safeguard their competitive standing in the industry, they will need to be smart about their choice of UICC features. Decisions made here will not only impact the quality of the end-user’s LTE service experience, they will also play a huge part in defining how much control the MNO is able to retain over the delivery of, and authentication to, the wide spectrum of mobile services enabled by LTE.”
The use cases in the LTE UICC Profile document will be of particular benefit to the marketing teams within MNOs. Technical teams that are responsible for defining the parameters for LTE network utilisation will find a broad variety of critical issues for MNOs, including the seamless integration of LTE with WiFi networks and femtocell zones; remote Over The Air UICC administration using HTTP; and managing user authentication across multiple mobile services using the Generic Bootstrapping Architecture.
The LTE UICC Profile document also refers to relevant specifications provided by GSMA, Open Mobile Terminal Platform, SmartSIM and Open Mobile Alliance. It is available for download at: http://www.simalliance.org/en/resources/recommendations/
SIMalliance (which stands for Security, Identity, Mobility), is the global, non-profit industry association which simplifies secure element implementation to drive the creation, deployment and management of secure mobile services. The organisation promotes the essential role of the secure element in delivering secure mobile applications and services across all devices that can access wireless networks. By identifying and addressing SE-related technical issues, and both clarifying and recommending existing technical standards relevant to SE implementation, the SIMalliance aims to promote an open SE ecosystem to facilitate and accelerate delivery of secure mobile applications globally.
SIMalliance members represent approximately 90% of the global SIM card market and work with all global MNOs. As such, the SIMalliance’s membership is responsible for delivering the most widely distributed secure application delivery platform in the world (UICC/SIM/USIM).
SIMalliance members are Eastcompeace, Fundamenture, Gemalto, Giesecke & Devrient, Incard, Kona I, Morpho, Oberthur Technologies, VALID, Watchdata and Wuhan Tianyu. Strategic Partners are Comprion, Linxens and Movenda.
