At Telecom26 our IoT SIM card team often say how shocked they are when they meet people who don’t know what an IoT SIM actually is. Imagine! Especially as a new SIM is on the horizon…
In a recent issue of IoT Now magazine, there is a piece titled: eSIM market not only growing but changing shape” in which the first appearance of integrated SIMs (iSIMs) is discussed. These mean that the SIM does not need dedicated hardware.
“The iSIM solution moves the SIM from a separate chip into a dedicated silicon area which sits alongside the application processor and/or cellular radio”
“The iSIM option is particularly relevant in the IoT space where you often have small sensors that need to conserve as much space as possible to deliver all the operational functions that are needed, including security and remote provisioning, as well as regular data exchange. By incorporating the SIM operating system into the cellular module hardware, an iSIM still enables users to get the connectivity reach they require, while also helping to reduce power consumption, which is a big bonus when it comes to operating large numbers of sensors in the field”.
Anyway, all interesting stuff for our R&D team. Meanwhile we continue to focus on helping our customers migrate to IoT SIMs.
Exploring IoT SIMS, why you need them and how Telecom26 can help
We are all familiar with physical SIM cards that you insert or remove in your normal mobile phone.
An eSIM takes the technology and puts it onto a chip that’s permanently integrated into the device, so it can neither be removed nor tampered with.
In practice, this means that the information that allows the device to connect to the network is downloaded to the chip via wireless connectivity. There are special procedures to enable this to happen – for example, when a device is first activated.
This means that the information – more correctly known as a ‘profile’ can be changed remotely, or multiple profiles stored for use. For a business, this means that, as eSIM-capable devices begin to proliferate, there's no need to change SIMs
Meanwhile an IoT SIM - can be supplied as an eSIM or physical SIM - is simply one that is optimised to support data services - and also brings additional benefits for security and services. They can be remotely activated and deactivated, disabled and blocked.
If you are deploying solutions that need connectivity for the transfer of data to and from remote locations, then you need an IoT SIM – in one form or another.
What To Consider When Buying a SIM
- Can I connect in the countries in which I need to deploy?
- Can I get the most effective rates for all of my devices, wherever they are?
- Are the inherent security mechanisms fully enforced and supplemented with extra levels?
- Can I use alternative networks, if the preferred networks are unavailable?
- Can I manage all of my remote connections and devices, in a single place?
Telecom26 - your partner for all your SIM needs - IoT SIMs, eSIMs, physical SIMs
At the heart of Telecom26’s IoT service are our global eSIMs and physical SIM cards. Just one of our SIMs in an IoT device provides access to all of the networks covered by our global roaming service. That’s 1100+ cellular networks belonging to 650+ mobile operators in 200+ countries.
Our global SIMs remove the need to worry about the coverage of a single MNO, or the existence of roaming alliances. They automatically select the best performing network in the area, cross-border, while providing enterprises with the freedom to change SIM profiles and services with ease.
We can also customise our offering, and build routing profiles for each IoT device according to a customer’s needs and budget. For example, for organisations that are more price sensitive we can ensure that our Global SIM cards automatically connect to the cheapest service in the area.
In a nutshell, Telecom26 enables data connectivity, anywhere - so that your IoT SIM device can connect to the best available network, regardless of location.
You can read more about our IoT SIM service here.
And, if you’d like to find out how Telecom26 can help your organisation to embrace the benefits of IoT SIMs, IoT Networks, improve IoT connectivity and maximise IoT Security please contact us.
And, of course, we’ll be at the next global must-attend event of the year, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona 28 Feb - 3 March in Hall 7, Stand G10 if you’d like to meet up in-person to discuss your IoT SIM and other connectivity needs, please contact us.
