BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GSMA today announced the release of a new report highlighting the significant progress made by Chinese mobile operators, vendors and manufacturers in adopting Remote SIM Provisioning and eSIM technologies. The in-depth report which is titled “eSIM in China: the road ahead” and was prepared by GSMA Intelligence in partnership with the Telecommunication Terminal Industry Forum Association (TAF), draws on fresh insights from China’s three mobile operators – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom – as well other companies from the wider mobile ecosystem1 and highlights developments particularly in the consumer electronics and IoT sectors.
“In China and around the world, the huge adoption of eSIM technologies has been underpinned by the GSMA’s common and interoperable specification that is reducing fragmentation and delivering a consistent consumer experience,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “From consumer electronics to automotive we are seeing a diverse array of products hitting the market utilizing the benefits of connectivity and bringing consumers choice.”
Smartwatches Dominate eSIM Deployments; Smartphone Adoption Will Take
Time
Smartwatches with eSIM technology are gaining momentum in
China supported by products from numerous vendors. Although eSIM
smartwatches still account for a small percentage of total smartwatch
ownership this is likely to increase in the future. To drive adoption,
Chinese operators are also allowing consumers to use their smartwatches
as secondary devices with one mobile subscription. Despite creating
smartphones for the global market, the Chinese domestic market has not
formally adopted eSIM technology which will require appropriate
regulation and new manufacturing, logistical and supply chain processes.
Globally, over fifty mobile operators already support eSIM functionality
in smartphones.
“China has a unique mobile market, both in terms of size and revenue growth and leadership in mobile developments and tech innovation has reached unprecedented levels. China is increasingly demonstrating its technological innovation and is emerging as a leading global market to test and implement new technologies,” said Xie Yi, Chairman of TAF. “Promoting the steady development of eSIM in China will help support developments in both the consumer and industrial markets. Based on the premise of national conditions, TAF has been committed to all parties in the joint industrial chain and cooperation with the GSMA, to make the best efforts to this end.”
China Setting the Groundwork
The report highlights the role
of industry-wide collaboration in driving eSIM developments in China
involving operators, government and regulatory bodies. China Mobile,
China Telecom and China Unicom are all developing eSIM solutions and
have launched cellular M2M and IoT eSIM platforms. The Chinese eSIM
market is still in an early phase of development in which some
proprietary solutions coexist with GSMA specifications. However, it is
anticipated that there will be a transitional period as the market
matures before it settles on the GSMA specification.
Regulation Key to eSIM Adoption
The report highlights the
significant efforts being made in China to help set a favourable
regulatory framework for eSIM deployments. Streamlining procedures and
setting clear, unified rules on eSIM requirements for consumer and
industrial devices is critical to accelerating the deployment of eSIM
technology and its market adoption. This includes credentials
management, designation of root certificate issuing and security and
cross-border interoperability. The report also recommends that the
government should facilitate trials of eSIM services, particularly in
the nascent industrial IoT to promote an open eSIM ecosystem.
Global Adoption of eSIM Technology
The report highlights
that there have been significant developments in the global eSIM
ecosystem over the past two years with more than 90 mobile industry
players supporting the GSMA’s specifications for Remote SIM Provisioning
of consumer devices around the world. All are aligned behind a single,
defacto approach avoiding industry fragmentation and interoperability
issues, driving global developments and allowing consumer choice. While
smartwatches were the first mass market product to adopt the technology,
there is now growing implementation of eSIM functionality in tablets,
laptops, notebooks and smartphones (e.g. Google and Apple). The
automotive industry is also at the forefront of eSIM deployments and
built-in connectivity is also now a specific requirement in Europe
following the European Emergency Call (eCall) initiative.
eSIM at MWC19
The GSMA will host a seminar on eSIM at MWC19
on Thursday 28th February between 9-11am. The session will
include a panel of expert speakers to explore and debate the challenges
in deploying eSIM and bringing devices to market including topics such
as. Security, Scalability and Connectivity. For further information,
please go to: https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/session/esim-seminar-from-specification-to-live-products/
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-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
1. The following companies contributed to
the report: Audi, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, China-ASEAN
Information Harbor (CAIH), Gemalto, Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), Gotell,
Hengbao, HPE, Huawei, Infineon Technologies, Little Genius, Microsoft,
Mobvoi, Redtea Mobile, Samsung, Showmac and Valid.
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile
operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with over 400
companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device
makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies,
as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also
produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los
Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional
conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
