eSIM's quiet redesign of IoT connectivity at scale

eSIM is emerging as a foundational layer for large-scale IoT, enabling secure, software-driven connectivity that simplifies device management across industries.

- BY SACHIN ARORA

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding at an unprecedented pace, intensifying the need for secure, flexible, and scalable connectivity that can keep up with billions of devices across industries. eSIM technology has become pivotal in this transformation, enabling lifecycle-ready connectivity from the factory floor to field deployment.

Initially developed for automotive and machine-to-machine (M2M) use cases, eSIM is now indispensable across transportation and logistics, agriculture, energy management, manufacturing, automotive, consumer electronics, financial services, and more.

CHALLENGES IN SCALING IoT CONNECTIVITY

As IoT adoption accelerates, enterprises face several hurdles in managing connectivity at scale when using physical SIM cards. Legacy specifications like SGP.02, which rely on SMS-based communication, struggle to meet the IP-centric demands of today's interconnected ecosystems, creating bottlenecks in device management.

Regulatory complexities, from regional roaming rules to local compliance requirements, complicate global deployments and slow down time-to-market. Operational inefficiencies arise from manual provisioning and physical SIM handling, increasing field-service costs and slowing speed.