TFP Bureau, New Delhi; March 27,2024: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has unveiled its recommendations concerning the ‘Usage of Embedded SIM for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications,’ marking a significant step in the evolution of telecommunications in the country.
Key Highlights:
Expansion of M2M Ecosystem: With the advent of 5G services, the M2M ecosystem’s potential has surged, promising advancements across various sectors like agriculture, transportation, healthcare, and industrial automation.
Focus on Security: Emphasizing security measures, TRAI underscores the importance of proper Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols to safeguard network integrity and mitigate fraud risks within the M2M eSIM ecosystem.
Framework for Flexibility: TRAI recommends a framework allowing for profile switching of eSIMs and swapping of SM-SR, providing users with enhanced flexibility and fostering healthy competition within the sector.
Government Implementation: Implementation of these recommendations is expected to foster structured growth in the M2M eSIM segment, thereby stimulating the development of a domestic M2M eSIM ecosystem and bolstering modern M2M communication.
Salient Features:
1. Conversion of Communication Profiles: All M2M eSIMs in imported devices on international roaming within India must convert their communication profiles to those of Indian telecom service providers within six months of activation.
2. Ownership and Management: Certain license holders and M2M service providers are permitted to own and manage Subscription Manager-Secure Routing (SM-SR) within the country.
3. Profile Installation Flexibility: OEMs and M2M service providers have the option to download profiles from Indian telecom service providers either through existing foreign SM-SRs or new Indian SM-SRs.
4. Integration and Switching: Integration of SM-SR with SM-DP of licensed telecom service providers should be facilitated within three months upon request. Switching of SM-SR with another eligible entity’s SM-SR should occur within six months upon request.
5. IMSI Series Limitation: The use of the 901.XX IMSI series allocated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to Indian entities is currently prohibited for providing M2M services in India, considering implementation challenges.
These recommendations aim to establish a robust regulatory framework conducive to the growth of M2M eSIM technology in India, ensuring both security and flexibility in the evolving telecommunications landscape.
For further inquiries or clarifications, interested parties may contact Shri Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Network Spectrum & Licensing), TRAI, at +91-11-23210481 or via email at advmn@trai.gov.in.
For more details, the complete recommendations can be accessed on TRAI’s website: http://www.trai.gov.in.
