7layers, in a joint cooperation with one of Asia’s leading chipset manufacturers, has developed a new test bench for NB-IoT USIM, to ensure conformity with 3GPP standards of IoT and/or M2M devices equipped with NB-IoT modules.

As part of Release 13, 3GPP has specified an independent, new radio interface, the Narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT), also called LTE Cat NB1. NB-IoT has been optimized for machine type communication, operating in licensed spectrum. Due to its low power consumption and narrowband wide area radio characteristics, NB-IoT allows for a large range of devices and services for Internet of Things (IoT) applications to be connected in a cost-efficient and secure way.

Due to the security and service related core functions of a UICC, included in mobile terminals, new USIM and USAT conformance tests for NB-IoT terminals are now part of the test specification 3GPP TS 31.121 Rel-13 and TS 31.124 Rel-13. Based on this new standard, Mobile Network Operators can ensure the authentication of the terminals that are accessing their networks and services. UICC cards can also support additional security capabilities and toolkits which can be used by IoT services providers to enhance the security and services of their IoT solutions.

In order to cover the growing market requirements for secure, low power, wide area technology, the Global Certification Forum (GCF) has introduced a new work item – WI#266 – for the qualification of NB-IoT terminals in conjunction with their USIM and USAT features.

To address this issue and to ensure conformity with 3GPP standards of IoT and/or M2M devices equipped with NB-IoT modules the new NB-IoT test bench from 7layers, which can be run on the InterLab test solution DEVICE/UICC, in combination with the R&S CMW500 network simulator, has been developed.