For most consumers, a weak mobile signal is a familiar annoyance — the frozen screen, the failed payment, the dropped call at the wrong moment. For some, however, it can be a matter of life and death. So says Cédric Jarkovsky, Director, Product Development & IoT Business at Transatel.
“Security is actually fairly serious — up to people’s safety,” he told IoT Insider on the side-lines of the IoT Tech Expo in London. “IoT is now utilised in very critical use cases.
We provide solutions for governments, for mission-critical operations. But we also provide IoT solutions for connected vehicles and healthcare. If something goes wrong there, it could directly threaten human life.”
One clear example is trying to get a signal in large crowds. With thousands of sports fans or concert goers trying to use their devices at the same time, networks quickly become jammed – potentially making it tricky for everyone, including emergency services, to communicate.
To avoid such safety issues, Jarkovsky says network operators are working together to open up new avenues of connectivity.
He points to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. “Massive amounts of people were gathering, and the traditional networks were saturated,” he said. “We provided a solution that could seamlessly switch from the public network to a private network, so police and emergency services could maintain continuity.”
The technology relies on SIM cards capable of connecting to multiple networks without altering the infrastructure of critical private networks. “There is absolutely no compromise on the private network security standard itself, because both networks are completely separated from one another,” he explained. “This is crucial for manufacturing, aviation, and mission-critical operations.”
Airports and airlines face similar connectivity challenges. Maintenance crews rely on private networks for inspections, but interruptions could delay flights or threaten safety. “Having the public network as a backup is critical,” Jarkovsky said. “Even if technicians leave the perimeter of the private network, they remain connected. And we achieve this with a single SIM, without adding complexity to devices.”
Transatel has also been at the forefront of eSIM technology, enabling remote provisioning via the SGP.32 standard. “Switching from profile A to profile B becomes a reality, whereas in the past it was a costly campaign,” he said. “Large manufacturers, especially vehicle OEMs, are already taking advantage of this. And the orchestration is fully secure — the Remote SIM provisioning server is protected, and the SIM triggers connections safely.”
Central to Jarkovsky’s approach is what he calls “security built in by design.” He warned that enterprises often design devices first and retrofit network security later. “You still see devices in 2026 with default passwords, with bad API-to-cloud authentication,” he said. “People design the device, then say, ‘Oh, by the way, I need a network.’ That’s a bad practice. If you think about the complete solution from the start, it can be more efficient, more secure, and less costly.”
One practical example involves using SIM cards as a trusted route for certificates, key storage, and encryption. “We integrate with the IoT SAFE standard,” he said. “Even if the device itself is simple, the network can handle advanced security elements. Some enterprises try to secure traffic at the device level, but we can implement it at the network level, simplifying device design and strengthening security.”
Artificial intelligence is increasingly central to Transatel’s security strategy. “Static rules are no longer sufficient to detect anomalies,” Jarkovsky explained. “We use machine learning and deep learning to monitor device behaviour dynamically. We can detect if a device is transmitting abnormal data, accessing the wrong application, or behaving differently from its expected profile.”
The system can incorporate device metadata — firmware version, software stack, location — to refine anomaly detection. “It’s almost like a digital twin,” he said. “We analyse the behaviour of each device and report anomalies to customers so they can act before problems escalate. It contributes directly to predictive maintenance and operational resilience.”
Global deployment, he noted, requires compliance with local regulations and data sovereignty laws. “In South Korea, geolocation data must remain inside the country,” he said. “We deploy our own telecom infrastructure locally so critical data never leaves national borders.”
Looking ahead, Jarkovsky expects AI to become embedded deeper within mobile networks themselves. “Security will be increasingly performed by AI, distributed at multiple levels, including the Edge and the core network,” he said. “The goal is smarter services and stronger protection, adapting in real time to emerging threats.”
For enterprises building connected devices, the lesson is clear: security cannot be an afterthought. “Our role in the ecosystem is to make security as easy as possible to consume,” he said, “by combining capabilities from the device, the SIM, the network, and the security platforms. The full stack needs to work together — only then can IoT devices be truly resilient and safe.”
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