RSP

Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) is the GSMA-defined process for delivering and managing SIM profiles over the air. It covers downloading, installing, enabling, disabling and deleting a profile on an eUICC — everything that once required shipping or swapping a plastic SIM card.

How RSP works

Every RSP architecture has the same core pieces:

• A profile server — the SM-DP+, or SM-DP in the M2M model — that prepares and encrypts operator profiles.
• An eUICC that authenticates the server, installs each profile in its own isolated security domain, and enables one profile at a time (or several, on eUICCs that support multiple enabled profiles).
• A trust framework of GSMA-governed certificates, so server and chip can verify each other before any profile moves.
• A client or manager that decides when downloads and state changes happen.

That last element is where the variants differ.

The three RSP architectures

Variant	Specification	Who drives provisioning	Typical use
M2M	SGP.02	The operator’s SM-SR pushes profiles	Earlier industrial and automotive fleets
Consumer	SGP.22	The user, through the device’s LPA	Phones, tablets, wearables, laptops
IoT	SGP.31 and SGP.32	A remote eIM instructing the device’s IPA	Headless devices such as trackers and meters

The GSMA released its first consumer RSP specification in February 2016, and the IoT architecture followed with SGP.31 v1.0 in April 2022.

What RSP does not cover

RSP gets a profile onto a chip; it says nothing about whether the profile then works. Network registration, roaming agreements, APN settings, data, SMS and voice all depend on the operator’s network and subscription configuration. A flawless download can still leave a device unable to attach.

Why it matters for testing

Effective eSIM testing covers both halves: the RSP path (discovery, download, install, enable) and the service that follows (attach, data, SMS, voice) — on real eUICCs and live networks. SimCheck.ai installs profiles onto real modems and then runs registration, data, SMS and voice tests on them — see eSIM testing.