Secure Element Management

Abstract

A method for transmitting configuration data for a secure element is provided. The configuration data is generated in a secure element manager, and the method includes protecting the configuration data using a set of over-the-air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element and transmitting the configuration data using a second interface to a second server that transmits the configuration data via a non-SMS communication channel. A communication network corresponding to the method is also provided. A method for receiving configuration data for a secure element at a host device is also provided. The method includes receiving the configuration data using a data function that receives the configuration data via a non-SMS communication channel, processing the configuration data using a SIM application toolkit, and forwarding the processed configuration data to the secure element. A host device corresponding to the method is also provided.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to telecommunications, and in particular to the transmission and reception of configuration data for secure elements. [Background technology]

[0002] A host device including a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) or an Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) may be used to provide communication services over a mobile network infrastructure of a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) or a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), or other suitable services to a host device equipped with a UICC or eUICC. To provide such services, a network operator may provision the UICC or eUICC with content, e.g., configuration data such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). The content may be managed and updated in an Over-The-Air (OTA) manner. OTA techniques may be used to communicate with and manage the UICC or eUICC, even without a physical connection to the card.

[0003] In the OTA-based approach, an OTA platform using a Remote Application Management (RAM) protocol and / or a Remote File Management (RFM) protocol may be used, i.e., a UICC or eUICC may be managed using a Short Message Service (SMS) or a Push Notification service. Network operators using the OTA-based approach may therefore face high implementation costs due to the associated infrastructure.

[0004] Furthermore, the OTA-based method only works when the UICC or eUICC is connected to a network, in particular to a telecommunications operator's network, i.e. when the host device equipped with the UICC or eUICC has network coverage.

[0005] It is therefore desirable to provide an alternative method for performing content management and updates on a UICC or eUICC to the traditional OTA-based method. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of transmitting configuration data for a secure element for receipt by a host device having a secure element, the configuration data being generated at a secure element manager of a cellular communication network, the secure element manager comprising a first interface to a first server that transmits the configuration data to the host device over a Short Messaging Service (SMS) communication channel and a second interface to a second server that transmits the configuration data to the host device over a non-SMS communication channel secured with a cryptographic protocol using a cryptographic key associated with the secure element, the method including: protecting the configuration data using a set of one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element; and transmitting the configuration data using the second interface.

[0007] This may allow configuration data for the secure element, such as the IMSI or other configuration data, to be sent to the secure element even if the secure element and host device do not have cellular coverage that may normally be provided via an OTA server. In this way, if the host device is unable to receive an SMS message containing the secure element's configuration data, the host device may receive the configuration data via a secure communications channel over an alternative bearer, such as Wi-Fi.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of receiving configuration data for a secure element at a host device from a cellular communications network, the host device comprising a secure element, a first data function for receiving the configuration data from the cellular communications network over an SMS communications channel, and a second data function for receiving the configuration data from the cellular communications network over a non-SMS communications channel secured with an encryption protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element, the method including receiving the configuration data using a second interface, processing the configuration data using a Subscriber Identity Module Application Toolkit (SAT), and forwarding the processed configuration data to the secure element.

[0009] In this manner, configuration data may be received by the host device for the secure element and forwarded for processing by the secure element even if the host device does not have cellular network coverage and / or the secure element does not normally support receiving configuration data over an alternative bearer such as Wi-Fi.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cellular communications network for transmitting configuration data for a secure element to a host device equipped with a secure element, the network comprising a first server for transmitting the configuration data to the host device over an SMS communication channel and a second server for transmitting the configuration data to the host device over a non-SMS communication channel secured by an encryption protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element, the cellular communications network being configured to protect the configuration data using a set of one or more OTA keys associated with the secure element, generate configuration data for the secure element, and transmit the configuration data using the second server.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a host device comprising a secure element, a first data function for receiving configuration data for the secure element from a cellular communications network via an SMS communication channel, and a second data function for receiving configuration data for the secure element from the cellular communications network via a non-SMS communication channel protected by an encryption protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element, the host device being configured to receive the configuration data using the second interface, process the configuration data using the SAT, and forward the processed configuration data to the secure element.

[0012] According to a fifth embodiment, there is provided a method for transmitting configuration data of a secure element for reception by a host device equipped with a secure element, the configuration data being generated in a secure element manager of a cellular communication network, the method comprising: generating configuration data for the secure element, protecting the configuration data using a set of one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element; and transmitting the configuration data over a communication channel secured using an encryption key associated with the secure element other than the one or more OTA keys.

[0013] According to a sixth embodiment, there is provided a method for receiving configuration data for a secure element from a cellular communications network, the method comprising: receiving configuration data protected using a set of one or more OTA keys associated with the secure element over a communication channel protected using an encryption key associated with the secure element other than the one or more OTA keys; and forwarding the configuration data to the secure element.

[0014] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] The following drawings are used for illustrative purposes and are provided by way of example only. The embodiments will be understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating elements of a cellular communication network and a host device, according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method, according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating elements of a cellular communication network and a host device involved in an encryption protocol, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method, according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating elements of a cellular communication network and a host device, according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Certain embodiments described herein provide a method for transmitting configuration data to a secure element. The secure element may be a UICC or an eUICC. The configuration data may be received by a host device equipped with the secure element, processed, and forwarded to the secure element. The secure element may then process the configuration data and / or use the configuration data to configure the secure element, for example, by updating a profile of the secure element. In this context, the host device may be any suitable computing device equipped with a secure element, such as a UICC or an eUICC. In some embodiments, the host device includes a mobile computing device and / or a table computing device. In other embodiments, the host device includes any computing device or object with network connectivity capabilities. For example, appliances, autonomous vehicles, and other devices that may be connected to a mobile network. The host device may include at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one memory may include a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. Instructions may be stored in at least one of the memories that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the processor to perform the methods described herein. In the context of IoT and M2M, host devices may include mobile or fixed consumer devices, machines, and / or objects.

[0018] The configuration data may be transmitted between the carrier network and the host device over a secure communication channel. The secure communication channel may be operational even in situations where the host device does not have a cellular connection to the network. The secure communication channel may be protected using an encryption key associated with the secure element.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cellular communication network 100 and a host device 150, according to an embodiment. The cellular communication network 100 may also be referred to as a carrier network. The cellular communication network 100 may be operable to transmit configuration data of a secure element to a host device 150 equipped with a secure element. The configuration data may include data that can be used to configure the secure element. In some embodiments, the configuration data includes data for updating firmware and / or software included in the secure element. In other embodiments, the configuration data may be used to configure the secure element such that the secure element can be used to connect to the network 100 or other networks to provide communication services to the host device 150.

[0020] The cellular communication network 100 comprises a first server 110. The first server 110 transmits configuration data to the host device 150 via a short message service communication channel, as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 1. The first server 110 may be referred to as an OTA server. The functionality of the OTA server is described in detail in WO 2011 / 036484 A2, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0021] The OTA server may comprise an OTA gateway that converts the request to SMS and sends it to an SMS center (SMSC), which may send the request to one or more SIM cards in the field. The OTA server may comprise an SMSC or may be communicatively connected to the SMSC. The OTA server may also generate service requests indicating the cards to update / change / activate and send these requests to the OTA gateway.

[0022] The cellular communication network 100 includes a second server 120 that transmits the configuration data to the host device over a non-SMS communication channel 125 secured with an encryption protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element. The non-SMS communication channel may use any suitable bearer, for example Wi-Fi.

[0023] In an embodiment, the second server 120 includes an entitlement configuration server. The entitlement configuration server may be configured to transmit entitlement configuration data to the host device. An embodiment of an entitlement configuration server is described in "GSMA TS.43 VoWiFi and VoLTE Entitlement Configuration v2.0," published on October 4, 2018, and is incorporated herein by reference. As described in "GSMA TS.43 VoWiFi and VoLTE Entitlement Configuration v2.0" (referred to herein as GSMA TS.43), the entitlement configuration server may use an authentication mechanism such as EAP-AKA. However, other authentication methods and standards may also be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0024] 1, the second server 120 is communicatively coupled to the authentication center 130, although in other embodiments, the second server 120 may comprise the authentication center. Establishment of the communication channel is described below with respect to FIG.

[0025] The cellular communication network 100 is configured to protect the configuration data using a set of one or more OTA keys 145 associated with the secure element and generate the configuration data for the secure element. The cellular communication network 100 may also be configured to transmit the configuration data using the second server 120. The configuration data may be transmitted by the second server 120 for reception by the host device 150. That is, the configuration data may be transmitted to the host device 150 with the secure element via the communication channel 125. In this way, even if the host device does not have a cellular connection with the cellular communication network 100, for example via an OTA server, the configuration data for the secure element may be transmitted to the host device 150 and used to configure the secure element. This may enable the secure element configuration data to be transmitted to the device via an alternative channel, such as via the Internet of Things (IoT), using machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, or using other Internet-based communication channels. In this way, the host device 150 may receive updates and / or profile configuration information for the secure element via an alternative channel even when not connected to a network.

[0026] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cellular communication network 100 comprises a secure element manager 140. The secure element manager 140 may be communicatively connected to the first server 110 and the second server 120 via a first interface and a second interface, respectively. The first interface and the second interface may each be implemented with any suitable combination of hardware and software components. Using the secure element manager, a profile of a subscriber to the network may be monitored and / or managed. In some embodiments, the functionality of the secure element manager 140 includes monitoring the ISMI assigned to the secure element and / or generating data to be sent to the secure element, including configuration data, e.g., IMSI. An embodiment of the secure element manager 140 is described in WO 2011 / 036484 A2, where the secure element manager is referred to as an IMSI broker. However, the secure element manager 140 of the present disclosure may have additional functionality when compared to the IMSI broker described in WO 2011 / 036484 A2.

[0027] In some embodiments, configuration data for the secure element may be generated in the secure element manager 140. The secure element manager 140 may communicate with the OTA server 110 to obtain an OTA key that may be used to protect the configuration data sent to the host device 150. The OTA key may be obtained from the OTA server and used by the secure element to ensure that configuration data used to configure and / or modify the secure element is received from an authorized source. This may prevent networks that are not authorized to configure the secure element from configuring the secure element.

[0028] The cellular communication network 100 may also be configured to transmit the configuration data using a second server. This may include, for example, the secure element manager 140 forwarding the configuration data to the second server 120 using the second interface for transmission by the second server 120. The second server 120 may transmit the configuration data over a non-SMS communication channel for receipt by the host device 150.

[0029] 1 also shows a host device 150. The host device 150 comprises a secure element 160. The secure element may be a UICC or an eUICC. The secure element 160 may include a collection of one or more OTA keys 145. The OTA keys 145 may be known by the network 100, e.g., the OTA keys 145 may be pre-established between the network 100 and the secure element 160. To maintain security, the OTA keys 145 may be updated, e.g., via a suitable OTA method.

[0030] The host device 150 may comprise a first data function that receives configuration data of the secure element from a cellular communication network, such as the cellular communication network 100, via an SMS communication channel. The SMS communication channel may be established between an OTA server, such as the server 110, and the host device 150. The host device 150 may also comprise a second data function that receives configuration data of the secure element from the cellular communication network 100 via a non-SMS communication channel that is protected with an encryption protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element. The second data function may receive the configuration data from, for example, the second server 120. The second server 120 may be configured to communicate with the host device 150 via an Internet Protocol communication channel, including, for example, WiFi. Other examples of bearers suitable for the communication channel 125 include Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), infrared, or any other suitable bearer. The first and second data functions of host device 150 may comprise separate hardware components that receive data, but in some embodiments, the first and second data functions may be virtualized or software-based data functions that interact with at least some shared hardware within host device 150 to receive data over an appropriate bearer.

[0031] 1 includes a client module 170. The client module 170 may be configured to establish a communication channel 125 with the second server 120. The host device 150 may also include an inbound message queue 180, which will be discussed later with respect to more specific embodiments of the present disclosure. The inbound message queue 180 may be part of the client module 170. The host device 150 includes a SAT module 190, which may be used to process received configuration data.

[0032] Host device 150 may be configured to receive the configuration data using a second data facility. This may include receiving the configuration data in packets at client module 170. In some embodiments, client module 170 may form at least a portion of the second data facility. The configuration data may be transferred from client module 170 to inbound message queue 180. In some embodiments, inbound message queue 180 may also be considered part of the second data facility.

[0033] The host device 150 is configured to process the configuration data using the SAT 190. The received configuration data may be packaged into a SIM toolkit packet using the SAT 190 for processing by the secure element 160. In this manner, the secure element 160 does not need to be configured to process data received over an alternative bearer, such as via the communication channel 125. This may allow interoperability with secure elements that do not have the ability to process data packaged and delivered over the communication channel 125, such as a non-SMS communication channel. This may ensure interoperability between the second server 120 and the host device (including the secure element) that receives the configuration data, regardless of the capabilities of the operating system of the secure element. The host device 150 may then be configured to forward the processed configuration data to the secure element 160.

[0034] 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method 200 of transmitting configuration data for a secure element for receipt by a host device with a secure element. The configuration data is generated in a secure element manager 140 of the cellular communication network 100. The secure element manager 140 comprises a first interface to a first server 110, which transmits the configuration data to the host device 150 over an SMS communication channel. The secure element manager 140 comprises a second interface to a second server 120, which transmits the configuration data to the host device over a non-SMS communication channel 125 secured with an encryption key protocol using an encryption key associated with the secure element 160.

[0035] At block 210, the method 200 includes generating configuration data for the secure element 160 using a set of one or more OTA keys 145 associated with the secure element 160 to protect the configuration data. The OTA keys 145 may perform cryptographic checksums and / or be used as a digital signature to ensure that any configuration data used to configure the secure element is received from an authorized network.

[0036] At block 220, the method includes transmitting the configuration data using the second interface. In this manner, the configuration data can be transmitted over a non-SMS communication channel for receipt by the host device 150, thereby still providing the configuration data to the secure element even if the host device does not have cellular coverage.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first server 110 includes an OTA gateway that routes the SMS communication to an SMS center for transmission over the SMS communication channel. The configuration data may be in an application protocol data unit (APDU) format. This may allow the configuration data to be implemented on the secure element 160 after receiving the configuration data at the host device 150. The configuration data in APDU format may be transmitted in packets by the second server 120, for example using packet switching. The configuration data may be wrapped in a suitable transport wrapper before being transmitted by the second server 120. In some embodiments, the configuration data may be wrapped in a suitable transport wrapper before being transmitted using the second interface. In another embodiment, the configuration data may be wrapped in a suitable transport wrapper at the second server 120 before being transmitted.

[0038] 1, the second server 120 may include an entitlement configuration server. The entitlement configuration server may be configured to transmit entitlement configuration data to the host device using a non-SMS communication channel.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates in schematic form some of the elements involved in establishing a communication channel 125 using an encryption protocol. FIG. 3 illustrates the cellular communication network 100 with a second server 120 communicatively connected to an authentication center 130. In some embodiments, the second server 120 may include the entitlement configuration server described above. The second server may also include the authentication center 130. In some embodiments, many of the encryption protocols include EAP-AKA authentication, which is further described in "Extensible Authentication Protocol Method for 3rd Generation Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA) RFC 4187," published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in January 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The authentication center 130 has an encryption key 300 associated with the secure element. The encryption key 300 may be pre-agreed between the cellular communication network 100 and the secure element 160. FIG. 3 also illustrates the host device 150 with the secure element 160, including the encryption key 300, and the client module 170. Using the encryption key 300, a secure communication channel may be established between the cellular communication network 100 and the host device 150. The second server 120 may communicate with a client module 170 included in the host device 150 to effect an exchange of credentials with the authentication center 130.

[0040] Returning to the method 200 described above, the method 200 may further include receiving, using the second server 120, a read notification indicating that the configuration data was received by the host device 150. In this manner, if the configuration data is not successfully received by the host device 150, the cellular communication network 100 may resend the configuration data.

[0041] The cellular communication network 100 may also be configured to perform a check of available settings that can be used to configure the secure element 160. The method 200 may include identifying information for configuring the secure element stored in the cellular communication network 100, and the configuration data may be generated using the identified information. For example, the secure element manager 140 may identify information such as the IMSI, available software, and / or firmware of the secure element 160. The secure element manager 140 may then generate the configuration data for the secure element 160 based on this identified information.

[0042] Verification of the configuration data may be triggered by the host device 150 and / or the secure element 160. For example, the method 200 may include receiving a request for the configuration data from the host device 150 via the second server 120. Identifying the information stored in the cellular communication network 100 may be performed in response to the request for the configuration data.

[0043] 4 shows a flow chart of a method 400 of receiving configuration data for a secure element 160 at a host device 150 from a cellular communication network 100. The host device 150 comprises a first data function, a second data function, and a secure element. The first data function is for receiving the configuration data from the cellular communication network 100 over an SMS communication channel. The second data function is for receiving the configuration data from the cellular network 100 over a non-SMS communication channel secured by an encryption protocol using an encryption key 300 associated with the secure element 160.

[0044] At block 410, method 400 includes receiving the configuration data using a second data facility. The second data facility may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and software. In some embodiments, the second data facility shares at least some hardware and / or software with the first interface data facility. The second data facility may comprise, for example, a receive antenna, a client module 170, an inbound message queue 180, or any other suitable hardware or software component. Receiving the configuration data using the second data facility may include receiving the configuration data using the client module 170 and queuing the configuration data in the inbound message queue 180.

[0045] At block 420, the method 400 includes processing the configuration data using the SAT 190. Processing the configuration data using the SAT 190 allows the secure element 160 to process the configuration data regardless of whether the operating system of the secure element 160 supports communication using a non-SMS communication protocol and has the capability to transfer OTA messages and configuration data. This allows interoperability between the entitlement configuration server that transmits the data and the host device that is used to receive the transmitted configuration data.

[0046] Processing the configuration data may include setting a source address of the configuration data that corresponds to the cellular communication network 100. If the configuration data is received in a packet, the host device 150 may queue the packet in an inbound message queue 180. Processing of the configuration data may be performed before or while the configuration data is queued in the inbound message queue 180.

[0047] At block 430, method 400 includes forwarding the processed configuration data to secure element 160. For example, method 400 may include forwarding the configuration data to secure element 160 in a SIM toolkit packet. This may be performed using any suitable means of communicating between an operating system of host device 150 and secure element 160. Alternatively, the configuration data may be forwarded to secure element 160 using a medium located in a baseband component of host device 150. In another embodiment, a medium located in secure element 160 itself may be used.

[0048] In this way, the configuration data can be delivered to the secure element 160 over a protected non-SMS communication channel using an encryption protocol, so that the host device 150 can still receive the configuration data even if the host device does not have a cellular connection, such as in a low coverage area or when the host device is roaming and cannot successfully connect to the network.

[0049] In some embodiments, the configuration data is in APDU format, which is a suitable format for the secure element 160 to process and thus implement the instructions indicated in the configuration data. In some embodiments, the processed configuration data is further processed by the secure element using a remote file management applet, which may enable the secure element to reconfigure itself based on the configuration data. As described herein, being able to process the configuration data in this manner may provide interoperability between the secure element and the cellular carrier network that transmits the configuration.

[0050] As discussed above, the host device may initiate the process of transmitting configuration data. For example, the method 400 may include using a second data function to query the network for available configuration data. The secure element 160 may request the host device 150 to open an HTTP channel to a server of the cellular communication network 100, such as the second server 120. An HTTP request may then be sent to ascertain the content available on the cellular communication network 100.

[0051] When the configuration data is received at the secure element, it may be processed using a set of one or more OTA keys 145 associated with the secure element. The set of OTA keys 145 corresponds to the OTA keys 145 that may be used to protect the configuration data. In this way, the secure element 160 cannot implement the configuration data from an insecure or unauthorized source.

[0052] In some embodiments, the method may include generating an attestation of receipt of the configuration data and transmitting the attestation of receipt using the second data function to the cellular communication network 100. If the configuration data was transferred to the secure element 160 with the originating address set, once all of the configuration data has been received, a synchronous callback to the cellular communication network may be performed and an attestation of receipt addressed to the previously set originating address may be generated and transmitted.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows a simplified diagram of the elements involved in generating and transmitting the receipt. After the configuration data is successfully received at the secure element 160, the receipt is generated. The receipt may be generated and transmitted to the cellular communication network, for example, via a non-SMS communication channel, using a second data function on the host device. The secure element 160 may generate an SMS message, which is queued in the SMS queue 500. The receipt in the form of an SMS message may be forwarded to the outbound message queue 510 before being transmitted for reception by the cellular communication network. If the receipt is generated in the form of an SMS message, it may be processed so that it can be transmitted via the non-SMS communication channel. This may enable the secure element 160 to provide the receipt even if the secure element 160 is not operable to generate and / or transmit messages using the non-SMS communication channel.

[0054] In an embodiment, a method is provided for transmitting configuration data of a secure element for reception by a host device equipped with a secure element. As previously described, the configuration data is generated at a secure element manager of a cellular communication network. The method includes protecting the configuration data using a set of one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element and generating the configuration data for the secure element. The method also includes transmitting the configuration data over a communication channel secured using an encryption key associated with the secure element other than the one or more OTA keys. As previously discussed, a secure communication channel may be established between an entitlement configuration server and the host device. In some embodiments, the configuration data may be in APDU format. The secure communication channel may be secured using the Extensible Authentication Protocol-Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA) previously described.

[0055] In an embodiment, a method is provided for receiving configuration data for a secure element from a cellular communications network. The method includes receiving the configuration data, secured using a set of one or more OTA keys associated with the secure element, over a communication channel secured using a cryptographic key associated with the secure element other than the one or more OTA keys. The method also includes forwarding the configuration data to the secure element. In some embodiments, the configuration data may be in APDU format, which may allow the data to be processed by the secure element. In some embodiments, the communication channel is secured using EAP-AKA as described above.

[0056] The above-described embodiments should be understood as illustrative examples of the present disclosure. Further embodiments are envisioned. It should be understood that any feature described in connection with any one embodiment may be used alone or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or in combination with one or more features of any combination of any other of the embodiments. Moreover, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for transmitting configuration data relating to a cellular communications network to a host device having a secure element, the method comprising: The method comprises: receiving, by a secure element manager in the cellular communications network, one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element from a first server in the cellular network, the first server holding the OTA keys and configured to transmit configuration data using OTA-based Short Message Service (SMS) communications; generating, by the secure element manager, the configuration data for the secure element, protecting the configuration data using the set of one or more OTA keys associated with the secure element; providing, by the secure element manager, the OTA-protected configuration data to a second server in the cellular communications network; establishing, by the second server, a non-SMS communication channel with the host device, and securing, by the second server, the non-SMS communication channel using a cryptographic key other than the one or more OTA keys; and transmitting, by the second server, the OTA-secured configuration data to the host device using a secured non-SMS communication channel.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server comprises an OTA gateway that routes SMS communications to an SMS center for transmission over an SMS communication channel.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the configuration data is in an Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU) format.

4. The method of claim 1 , 2 or 3 , wherein the second server comprises an entitlement configuration server configured to send entitlement configuration data to the host device using the non-SMS communication channel.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising receiving, via the second server, a read notification indicating that the configuration data has been received by the host device.

6. 6. The method according to claim 1, comprising a step of identifying information for configuring the secure element stored in the cellular communication network, and wherein the configuration data is generated using the identified information.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method includes receiving a request for the configuration data from the host device via the second server, and wherein identifying the information for configuring the secure element stored in the cellular communication network is performed in response to the request for configuration data.

8. 1. A method for receiving configuration data relating to a cellular communications network at a host device having a secure element operatively connected to a subscriber identity module application toolkit (SAT), comprising: receiving configuration data from a cellular network via a non-SMS communication channel between the host device and the cellular communication network, the non-SMS communication channel being protected with an encryption protocol using one or more encryption keys associated with the secure element, the configuration data being protected using one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element prior to being protected with the encryption protocol to generate OTA-protected configuration data, the one or more OTA keys being different from the one or more encryption keys; using the SAT to process received configuration data to decrypt it into OTA-protected configuration data using one or more of the encryption keys; and transferring the OTA-protected configuration data to the secure element for further decryption using one or more of the OTA keys.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the configuration data is in APDU format.

10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the processed configuration data is further processed by the secure element using a remote file management applet.

11. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the method comprises querying the cellular communications network for available configuration data.

12. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the method comprises generating an acknowledgement of receipt of the configuration data and transmitting the acknowledgement of receipt to the cellular communications network using the non-SMS communications channel.

13. 1. A cellular communications network for transmitting configuration data to a host device comprising a secure element, the network comprising a secure element manager operatively connected to a first server and a second server; the first server is configured to hold an Over-The-Air (OTA) key and to transmit configuration data to the host device using an OTA-based SMS communication channel; the secure element manager is configured to receive from the first server one or more OTA keys associated with the secure element, protect the configuration data using the one or more OTA keys to generate OTA-protected configuration data for the secure element, and provide the OTA-protected configuration data to the second server; the second server is configured to establish a non-SMS communication channel with the host device and protect the non-SMS communication channel, the non-SMS communication channel using one or more encryption keys other than the one or more OTA keys, and the second server is configured to send OTA-protected configuration data to the host device using the protected non-SMS communication channel.

14. The cellular communication network of claim 13 , wherein the second server comprises an entitlement configuration server configured to transmit entitlement configuration data to the host device.

15. In the host device, a secure element operably connected to a subscriber identity module application toolkit (SAT); the host device is configured to receive configuration data for the secure element from a cellular network over a non-SMS communication channel, the non-SMS communication channel being protected with a cryptographic protocol using one or more cryptographic keys associated with the secure element, the configuration data being protected using one or more Over-The-Air (OTA) keys associated with the secure element prior to being protected with the cryptographic protocol to generate OTA-protected configuration data, the one or more OTA keys being different from the one or more cryptographic keys; the SAT is configured to process received configuration data, decrypt it using one or more of the encryption keys into OTA-protected configuration data, and forward the processed configuration data to the secure element; 20. The host device of claim 19, wherein the secure element is configured to decrypt the OTA-protected configuration data received from the SAT using one or more of the OTA keys.

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