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Device Implementation Guide for IoT
Introduction Soracom Device Implementation Guidelines IoT Device Architecture IoT Device Implementation Checklist Avoid connecting and disconnecting excessively Avoid synchronous behavior in large numbers of devices Reduce the number of network connections per device Reduce the data transfer size Reduce active connection time Select appropriate protocols Understand how wireless access technology works Understand the operation of the communication module Correctly handle data communication failures Disable connectivity when SIMs are deactivated Gracefully Shutdown IoT Devices Implement device recovery mechanisms Design for Subscription Containers Handle resources properly Additional considerations for device security
IoT Device Implementation Guide

Design for Subscription Containers

Last Updated: July 3rd, 2024

All SIMs include an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number which acts as a globally unique ID that a network uses for deciding whether or not to allow a device to connect, determining how data should be routed, and keeping track of data usage.

While that’s very much the case for Soracom IoT SIMs, Soracom also provides a feature called Subscription Containers that allows Soracom SIMs to have multiple IMSIs and automatically switch between them where advantageous.

Having a second or third IMSI can allow a device to connect to more networks in more countries, to switch to cheaper networks when available, or to fall back to networks provided by a different IMSI when the networks covered by one IMSI are unavailable.

When leveraging Soracom Subscription Containers for these benefits, IoT Devices should be designed according to the Over-The-Air (OTA) mechanism that the Subscription Container feature uses for remotely installing and managing IMSIs.

As the OTA procedure may take several minutes to complete, a device that is designed to disconnect from the network or shut down too quickly will be unable to fully receive the OTA, and as a result the procedure may take several days or may even fail, leaving the device stuck with only the original IMSI available.

Implementing a suitable OTA mechanism is recommended, such as sending a command to the device to instruct it to remain powered on for a longer duration (a minimum of 5 minutes is recommended for a Subscription Container installation procedure to complete) whenever an OTA is required.

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Handle resources properly
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