Authentication in a wireless telecommunications network

Abstract

To facilitate authentication over a wireless access network, it is proposed to provide a hub device having an authentication storage means (i.e. a (U)SIM) to which one or more machine devices are connected. Each machine devices connects to a wireless access network and in order to authenticate with that network requests authentication information from the hub device. The core network of the wireless access network, authenticates each machine device and provides the machine devices with parallel access to the access network in accordance with authentication information obtained from the hub device. The authentication information is unique to the respective machine device but also associated with information stored on the authentication storage means of the hub device.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a U.S. Nationalization of International Application Number PCT / GB2011 / 051718, filed on Sep. 14, 2011, which claims priority to United Kingdom Patent Application No. 1015322.9, filed on Sep. 14, 2010, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a method for authenticating large numbers of devices to a wireless telecommunications network.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION[0003]As a consequence of the decreasing costs of wireless telecommunications apparatus, tighter safety and climate regulation and vigorous market competition, an ever increasing number of devices (“machines”) are being provided with wireless telecommunications apparatus to facilitate additional information services. A particular driving factor in this trend has been the provision of wireless services to so-called machine to machine (M2M) solutions.[0004]The term “M2M” has been used to descri...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach reduces the need for individual SIM provisioning and usage, lowers operational costs, and enables efficient authentication of multiple devices while maintaining security, by using a hub device to manage authentication for all connected devices under a single subscription, thus supporting low-cost M2M services without disrupting existing network infrastructure.

Problems solved by technology

However, just requiring that each device be allowed to authenticate itself to the network from time to time, may undermine the benefits of certain mobile M2M services (particularly those services that are predicated on a low cost machine / service).

Of course, this quarantining process has an associated cost: so too does reassigning that MSISDN number as ultimately will happen when it is confirmed unused after the quarantine period expires.

As the reader will readily appreciate, the provisioning of SIMs that are infrequently or never used represents a distinct inconvenience to the network operator.

While this inconvenience is significant when considering the conventional provision of mobile telephones and data card / modems with SIMs, SIM-enablement of “machines” present additional problems simply by virtue of the number of these devices and their typical (low and sporadic) frequency of use.

M2M applications are expected to increase significantly the number of unused or infrequently used SIMs and to cause a consequently greater level of disruption to the network operator who wishes to enable such devices.

All the additional costs in terms of provisioning, quarantining (or keeping minimally active) etc of such machines can be relatively expensive and when compared with the potential market for the mobile M2M service may be found incompatible with low cost services.

Alternatively devices could have a “soft SIM” (a SIM module in software or firmware) instead, but this has major security issues, and there is still significant cost to the network operator (requiring heavy usage of the core network components in particular the home location register (HLR) and the authentication centre (AuC)) and arranging provisioning / creating subscriptions.

However such a solution would require major network re-design, and could potentially prevents connection onto existing 3G and GSM networks.

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