OTA Description
OTA enables a Network Operator to introduce new
SIM services or to modify the contents of SIM cards in a rapid and
cost-effective way.
OTA is based on client/server architecture
where at one end there is an operator back-end system (customer
care, billing system, application server… ) and at the other end
there is a SIM card.
The operator’s back-end system sends service
requests to an OTA Gateway which transforms the requests into
Short Messages and sends them onto a Short Message Service Centre
(SMSC) which transmits them to one or several SIM cards in the
field.
Thus, Over-The-Air (OTA) is a technology that
updates and changes data in the SIM card without having to reissue
it. Indeed, the end user can receive special messages from the
operator, download or activate new services on his telephone, and
much more…, without having to return to a retail outlet.
In order to implement OTA technology, the
following components are needed:
- A back end system to send requests
- An OTA Gateway to process the requests in an understandable
format to the SIM card
- An SMSC to send requests through the wireless network
- A bearer to transport the request: today it is the SMS
bearer…
- Mobile equipment to receive the request and transmit it to
the SIM card
- A SIM card to receive and execute the request
Gemplus can provide a complete solution for the management of
SIM Cards OTA with GemXplore Suite.
A solution that has been widely adopted by customers in Europe,
Asia and the United States.
Back end System
The back end system can be anything from a
customer care operator to a billing system, a content provider or a
subscriber web interface. The provisioning system has to be
connected to the mobile network (either per LAN or via the
Internet). Service requests contain the service requested (activate,
deactivate, load, modify…), the subscriber targeted and the data
to perform the service. The back end system then sends out service
requests to the OTA gateway.
OTA Gateway
The OTA Gateway receives Service-Requests through
a Gateway API that will indicate the actual card to modify/update/activate.
In fact, inside the OTA Gateway there is a card database that
indicates for each card, the SIM vendor (Gemplus, Schlumberger,
DeLaRue…), the card’s identification number, the IMSI and the
MSISDN.
The second step is to format the service request
into a message that can be understood by the recipient SIM card. To
achieve this, the OTA Gateway has a set of libraries that contain
the formats to use for each brand of SIM cards (ESMS for Gemplus for
example). The OTA Gateway then formats the message differently
depending on the recipient card.
The third step consists in sending a formatted
message to the SMSC using the right set of parameters as described
in GSM 03.48. Then the OTA Gateway issues as many SMS as required to
fulfill the Service-Request. In this step the OTA Gateway is also
responsible for the integrity and security of the process.
SMSC
Services center for short messages (SMS)
exchanged between the management system of these messages (OTA
Gateway) and the cellular network. A message consisting of a maximum
of 160 alphanumeric character can be sent to or from a Mobile Phone.
If the Mobile Phone is powered off or has left the coverage area,
the message is stored and offered back to the subscriber when the
mobile is powered on or has reentered the coverage area of the
network.
SMS Channel
The communication between the SIM card and the OTA Gateway can be
done by SMS exchange and in this case named the SMS channel.
Mobile phone
Has to be phase 2+ in the GSM standard. Mobile
Phone has all the required features for handling a part or all of
standardized GSM services. Regarding OTA services, the Mobile Phone
has to be Sim Tool Kit compliant.
SIM Card
Smart card provide secure user authentication and is mainly used
in GSM standard as Subscriber Identification Module (SIM cards). The
SIM is the major component of the GSM market paving the way to
value-added services. SIM cards now offer new menus, prerecorded
numbers for speed dialing, and the ability to send pre formatted
short messages (SMS) to query a database or secure transactions.
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