The landscape of the Internet of Things (IoT) is undergoing a significant change as Juniper Research predicts a drastic increase in eSIM and iSIM connections globally. By the year 2028, it is expected that the number of IoT eSIM connections will reach approximately 1.3 billion, a steep rise from the 165 million forecasted for 2024. This surge is attributed to the advent of new eSIM specifications, which offer businesses enhanced flexibility in managing their IoT devices, including the ability to switch eSIM profiles remotely.
Revolutionizing IoT Connectivity
The GSMA’s latest technical specification, SGP.32, is central to this transformation, allowing for the remote activation of eSIM profiles via an eSIM IoT Manager (eIM). This advancement overcomes the limitations of previous eSIM protocols that were dependent on SMS for profile activation and often encountered network and user-interface restrictions.
Industries Set to Reap the Benefits
Certain industries stand to gain significantly from the implementation of SGP.32, with the automotive, logistics, and oil & gas sectors projected to make up more than half of the eSIM-enabled IoT device market by 2028. The standard’s ability to facilitate interoperable connectivity is seen as the main catalyst for this growth within industries that demand compact device form factors.
In addition to SGP.32, Juniper Research emphasizes the importance of the upcoming SGP.42 standard, which is designed for iSIM technology. iSIMs are expected to further minimize device size while maintaining the same capabilities offered by eSIMs. Elisha Sudlow-Poole, the report’s author, stressed the urgency for stakeholders to prepare for the SGP.42 standard as it nears completion, urging the development of flexible platforms capable of adapting to future form factors, certifications, and specific use-case requirements to fully exploit the expanding market for eSIM and iSIM technologies.
Preparing for the eSIM and iSIM Boom
The research highlights the crucial need for industry players to adjust to rapidly evolving standards in order to leverage the anticipated growth. Companies must prioritize building standard-agnostic platforms that can accommodate new developments in eSIM and iSIM form factors and their diverse applications across different sectors.
In seeking further insight, analysis from two different sources was conducted. The first source provided a brief overview of the key findings, emphasizing the explosive growth predicted for IoT eSIM connections. The second source offered an in-depth analysis of the implications of this growth for various industries and the technology ecosystem as a whole, concluding that the enhanced flexibility and interoperability promised by emerging GSMA specifications will be fundamental to the expansion of IoT connectivity solutions.
The integration of eSIM and iSIM technologies indicates a move towards a more dynamic and adaptable IoT environment. With the support of these advanced connectivity standards, enterprises can expect to navigate a new era of IoT with greater ease and efficiency.
