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GSMA Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) is a standardized process defined by the GSMA (GSM Association) that enables remote downloading and management of network operator profiles onto embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (eUICCs) in IoT devices. Unlike traditional physical SIM cards, RSP allows over-the-air (OTA) updates without device disassembly, ideal for constrained IoT hardware like sensors or trackers.

With GSMA Remote sim provisioning, the eUICC securely stores multiple operator profiles, allowing enterprises to switch networks over the air to improve coverage, costs, or resilience over the device’s lifetime. The architecture relies on distinct roles: the eUICC as the secure element holding profiles, the Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SM-DP+) system that generates and encrypts profiles, the Subscription Manager Secure Routing (SM-SR) that manages secure delivery and lifecycle operations, and the Local Profile Assistant (LPA) on the device side that orchestrates profile download and activation flows.

The architecture involves key entities: the eUICC (embedded chip storing profiles), Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SM-DP+) for profile creation and encryption, Subscription Manager Secure Routing (SM-SR) for profile delivery, and Local Profile Assistant (LPA) coordinating downloads.

For IoT, RSP follows SGP.32 specifications, a lightweight variant of consumer SGP.22, eliminating SMS dependency and supporting eSIM IoT Manager (eIM) proxies for batch operations on low-power devices. Profiles are encrypted with device-specific keys, authenticated via X.509 certificates from GSMA’s PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), ensuring only authorized entities participate.