SGP.31

SGP.31 is the GSMA specification that defines the architecture and requirements for eSIM in IoT devices. Published as version 1.0 in April 2022, it describes what an IoT eSIM system must do — roles, interfaces, security and functional requirements — while its companion SGP.32 specifies how to build it.

Why SGP.31 was needed

Before SGP.31, IoT devices had two imperfect options. The M2M specification SGP.02 relied on a server-push model with complex SM-SR integrations. The consumer specification SGP.22 assumed a user interface for scanning codes and confirming downloads. Neither suited large fleets of headless devices, many of them on constrained networks such as NB-IoT and LTE-M.

What SGP.31 introduces

• The eIM (eSIM IoT remote manager): a remote entity that triggers profile downloads and performs profile state management on behalf of whoever operates the fleet.
• The IPA (IoT Profile Assistant): the device-side counterpart of the consumer LPA, located in the device or in the eUICC.
• Device categories: network-constrained devices, which may be limited to lightweight protocols, and user-interface-constrained devices, which have no screen or input.
• Reuse of SGP.22 infrastructure: profiles still come from an SM-DP+ and can be discovered through an SM-DS, so operators do not need a separate IoT profile server.
• Resilience mechanisms: fallback and rollback to a known working profile when a newly enabled profile cannot connect.

SGP.31, SGP.32 and SGP.33

Document	Role
SGP.31	Architecture and requirements
SGP.32	Technical specification — interfaces, data structures and procedures
SGP.33	Test specifications for the eUICC, IPA and eIM

Why it matters for testing

SGP.31’s requirements read like a list of behaviors a fleet operator will want to verify in the field: can the eIM trigger a download, does the device fall back when a new profile fails, does a constrained device complete provisioning over NB-IoT? Those questions are answered on live networks rather than on paper. See what is SGP.32 for how the architecture is implemented.