Earlier this year, SIM technology provider Kigen provided a glimpse into how cellular IoT connectivity would pan out as it reported that this year is being shaped by eSIM technology.
Providing five eSIM and iSIM services expected to shape the technology including traveller eSIMs, satellite IoT connectivity, AI ecosystems, industrial IoT and just-in-time profile provisioning, the company said that all these areas would create important strides in smart energy, logistics, mobility, healthcare and other industries.
In an exclusive interview given to IoT Insider, Toby Gasston, Mobile Core Product Lead at Wireless Logic spoke to the title following on from a talk he gave at Hardware Pioneers where he emphasised that the cellular IoT landscape has changed significantly in recent decades. “I think it’s useful for us not only to see how complicated everything has become from a connectivity provider standpoint but to take a step back and understand how we’ve got to this point,” he said.
In the talk given, the cellular IoT landscape now looks at technologies including Narrowband-IoT; wafer-level silicon and eSIMs, the latter of which is having a major impact on cellular IoT connectivity.
How eSIM technology works
eSIM technology is not new. In fact, the technology has been around for approximately a decade and has picked up pace in consumer devices particularly in recent years. Examples of electronics manufacturers who have adopted eSIM technology into their devices include Samsung, Apple and Google – all giants in their field.
The ingenuity behind eSIM technology is facilitating an easy switch between service providers without having to physically swap out cards. eSIMs are integrated into the device as a digital SIM and are eUICC-compatible, meaning it can be reprogrammed with new information – for instance, wanting to switch providers.
Conversely, conventional SIM technology comes in the form of a plastic card with an integrated circuit on a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), and has to be inserted into a device. The card will house information on the device, its user and network provider.
The consumer segment has proved a growth area for eSIM technology as it means consumers can easily switch between providers on their smartphones, tablets and wearables – and there is proven appetite. The eSIM Consumer Pulse report dated from September 2022 reported that 81% of consumers were in favour of eSIM-only in smartphones, which was attributed to the flexibility, lack of hassle and avoiding roaming charges.
Within the IoT industry, it’s a similar story: Omdia research from earlier this year shows that it expects advances in eSIM technology to drive adoption in IoT from 1 billion in 2023 to 3.6 billion in 2023, as well as other key trends encapsulating 5G RedCap, 5G Massive IoT and 4G LTE Cat-1bis modules.
“eSIM technology has long been seen as an important form factor for IoT devices, but now we are seeing the technology improve in ways that help enterprises provision over-the-air in resource-constrained IoT devices,” said John Canali, IoT Principal Analyst, Omdia about the research.
Advantages offered by eSIM technology being harnessed include placing eSIMs around manufacturing facilities to ensure continued connectivity and using the same connectivity to track goods and facilitate connection in rural areas where smart agriculture deployment may struggle to get off the ground if devices can’t connect.
How eSIM technology is being applied
Recent news of eSIM technology reflect how the technology is being harnessed. Just two weeks ago, for example, Amdocs announced a collaboration with Google Cloud designed to simplify eSIM solutions. The collaboration will see Amdocs integrate Google Cloud’s technologies to create an end-to-end eSIM onboarding solution targeted at communication services providers.
In the announcement, Vivek Gupta, Director, Telco Industry, Google Cloud said: “This collaboration streamlines the process of switching between phones, carriers, and more, with minimal interruptions to service, providing a seamless experience for consumers.”
Other announcements from earlier this year showed KORE and Medical Guardian collaborating on bringing an eSIM-powered medical alert device to market which will provide the flexibility to switch to the right network carrier, future-proof against network charges and address cell signal challenges; while Telit Cinterion announced it was integration Thales Instant Connect into its modules for remote eSIM activation. It listed advantages as being streamline IoT deployments by simplifying supply chain, device installation and maintenance to ensure IoT devices are connected anywhere at all times.
As the eSIM technology market continues to grow and develop, its ability to facilitate new applications and technologies means there is much to look forward to.
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