The use of eSIM and iSIM technologies in cellular IoT connections is expected to increase, according to the latest observations from IoT Analytics. The latest IoT eSIM Module and iSIM Chipset Market Tracker, as well as the Cellular IoT Module and Chipset Security Tracker, show that the installed base of IoT connectivity modules equipped with eSIM will reach 650 million by 2023.
Recently published research papers detail how eSIM technology has gained widespread recognition for its ability to profoundly impact cellular IoT connections by driving remote SIM provisioning, global connectivity and enhanced security through hardware solutions. Despite these advantages, its adoption has not been as fast as expected due to issues with remote SIM provisioning and fragmented standardization. However, the GSMA’s new specifications SGP.31 and SGP.32 are now addressing these issues, providing manufacturers and end users with a clearer framework to accelerate deployment.
eSIM technology effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional SIM cards in cellular IoT connectivity. Historically, cellular IoT connectivity has relied on physical SIM cards, which are often locked to specific vendors and require replacement of SIM cards when entering new regions, countries, or coverage areas, which is not feasible for large-scale deployments and is costly and labor-intensive. In addition, cellular IoT devices using traditional SIM cards often lack proprietary hardware-level security, which means they either rely on non-hardware-level security solutions or have no security solutions at all. However, modern SIM technologies such as embedded SIM (eSIM) help overcome these deployment and security limitations.
As the name suggests, eSIM (including integrated SIM or iSIM) is an integral part of the cellular IoT module hardware. They are unique, programmable, and allow remote wireless configuration of network profiles. In addition, eSIM contains embedded security elements and is implanted in cellular IoT modules as a unique component, thereby improving the integrity of the modules and the IoT devices they are integrated into.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
