//php echo do_shortcode(‘[responsivevoice_button voice=”US English Male” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]’) ?>
According to the GSMA, by the end of 2025, the global telecommunications sector reached 1 billion active NB-IoT and LTE-M low-power wide area network (LPWAN) connections. This milestone crowns a decade of strategic collaboration among mobile operators, hardware vendors, and standards organizations to build a unified, interoperable foundation for massive machine-type communications.
“Reaching 1 billion low-power IoT connections is a testament to what sustained industry collaboration can achieve,” said Alex Sinclair, CTO of GSMA. “This milestone reflects a shared commitment to standards, interoperability, and long-term value—and it lays the foundation for the next phase of massive IoT growth.”
By reaching this benchmark, cellular IoT has matured from an early concept into a globally deployable, highly scalable commercial platform.
A decade ago, the industry was fractured by competing methods and inconsistent implementations, sharply limiting enterprises’ capacity to scale connected device rollouts. Industry consensus on cellular LPWAN gave developers and operators the confidence to pursue and sustain long-term global deployments.
By ABLIC 03.16.2026
By Bluetooth SIG 03.10.2026
By GigaDevice 03.10.2026
Synergy of NB-IoT and LTE-M
The cellular IoT ecosystem is anchored by two complementary technologies: narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE category M1 (LTE-M). These were the first cellular networks designed for IoT. The 3GPP formally introduced them in Release 13 as part of the 4G standard.
Both network standards use licensed spectrum to offer high reliability, extended coverage, and long battery life. They also support low-cost hardware modules that are ready for future network upgrades.
However, the two technologies serve different operational needs. NB-IoT is optimized for stationary sensors in hard-to-reach areas, such as deep indoors, underground, or over large fields. These sensors transmit small, simple data payloads.
In contrast, LTE-M serves mobile devices and sensors that need higher data speeds and handle larger payloads. It also supports SMS and limited voice transmissions. Both can get regular over-the-air firmware updates.
Strategic transition to 5G eRedCap
As telecommunications providers prepare to retire legacy 2G and 4G infrastructure, the industry is transitioning toward 5G networks, with enhanced Reduced Capability (eRedCap) technology emerging as the new standard for long-lifecycle IoT devices.
ERedCap, based on 3GPP Release 18, occupies the middle ground between advanced 5G and ultra-low-power narrowband IoT. It offers the higher throughput required for data-intensive applications, such as industrial automation, advanced wearables, and AI-driven consumer devices. It does so at lower cost and with less power consumption than a full 5G New Radio.
“The future of IoT is clearly converging around eRedCap,” said Nohik Semel, CEO of Sony Semiconductor Israel. “It brings the performance needed for tomorrow’s connected devices while preserving the efficiency and longevity that industries count on. For device makers designing for the next 10 to 20 years, eRedCap is the technology that will facilitate the move from 4G into a fully 5G world.”
Adopting eRedCap with half-duplex frequency division duplexing (HD-FDD) cuts radio frequency complexity and further lowers power consumption for cost-sensitive assets.
Market analysts project the eRedCap market could surpass 50 million unit shipments by 2030, as the demand for real-time edge connectivity and the eventual sunsetting of 4G networks drives operators to unify their networks and reallocate scarce spectrum resources.
From eSIM to iSIM
Traditional removable SIM cards limit enterprise IoT deployments, as managing, tracking, and physically replacing legacy SIM cards across thousands or millions of distributed assets imposes logistical and economic barriers.
Operators continue to face challenges in shutting down legacy 2G networks because many connected devices, including smart meters, alarm systems, and security access points, still depend on them.
Physical SIM cards add size, are susceptible to environmental damage, and may be stolen, creating security risks. ESIM solves these by being permanently soldered into the device. This shrinks the device’s footprint to a fraction of a Nano SIM.
However, the integrated SIM (iSIM) fundamentally shifts device architecture by embedding SIM functionality directly into a dedicated, secure enclave on the device’s main SoC, allowing it to operate alongside the primary processor and cellular modem.
This integration makes the iSIM 98% smaller than a standard eSIM, freeing silicon for manufacturers designing highly compact devices. Eliminating a separate chip can slash standby power use by up to 70%, significantly lengthening battery life for field assets.
From a manufacturing perspective, iSIM integrates the microcontroller, radio transceiver, and SIM operating system into a single hardware component, reducing the overall bill of materials from three parts to one. Market forecasts indicate that 7 billion iSIM-enabled devices will ship between 2021 and 2030, highlighting their rise.
Over-the-air onboarding and the SGP.32 standard
Remote SIM Provisioning unlocks the full potential of eSIM and iSIM hardware, enabling enterprises to update network operator profiles over-the-air without manual intervention.
Historically, the GSMA established two primary specifications: SGP.02 for machine-to-machine communications and SGP.22 for consumer devices. The earlier machine-to-machine standard relied heavily on SMS routing and complex server integrations, creating a rigid, vendor-locked architecture that required pre-deployment network agreements and hindered dynamic global mobility.
The consumer framework addressed these challenges through a user-facing interface, but it required human input, which is not feasible for headless IoT sensors in remote locations.
In 2023, the GSMA introduced the SGP.32 standard specifically for IoT devices to bridge the gap between previous standards, enabling bulk remote provisioning of SIM profiles without SMS dependencies or direct user interaction.
A key part of the SGP.32 system is the eSIM IoT Remote Manager. It lets operators remotely enable, disable, delete, and download network profiles for thousands of devices at once. The IoT Profile Assistant receives commands and updates the chip directly.
Profile State Management Operations use cryptographic authentication to ensure that only authorized entities can remotely modify the device’s connectivity status. This overall capability enables enterprises to dynamically switch connectivity providers post-deployment, optimize network costs, and avoid restrictive operator lock-ins.
Global coverage, security, and production
For enterprise IoT, consistent global reach and data security are non-negotiable. Growing LTE-M and NB-IoT roaming agreements enable devices to operate seamlessly across nations without requiring regional hardware changes or complex multi-SIM setups.
One clear example is the eSIM present in most recent vehicles. In Europe, all new passenger vehicles and trucks are currently required to have a cellular system for emergency assistance (eCall). Automakers rely on eSIMs to meet the requirement, allowing the end user to choose the operator in their market. Then, the service credentials are transmitted to the eSIM, activating the service.
From a security standpoint, both eSIM and iSIM serve as standardized hardware root of trust, authenticating the device to the cellular network and securing data transmissions to cloud infrastructure.
Adhering to standards such as IoT SAFE ensures end-to-end data confidentiality, which is crucial as enterprises depend on sensor data to power AI models and automate logistics.
By following stringent compliance processes, such as the GSMA Security Accreditation Scheme, the ecosystem ensures that manufacturing, profile generation, and subscription management operations meet rigorous international security standards.
As device volumes scale, manufacturers have modernized their manufacturing processes to maintain efficiency. The GSMA SGP.41 and SGP.42 standards formalize in-factory profile provisioning, which permits original equipment manufacturers to securely load mobile network SIM profiles onto devices directly on the factory assembly line.
This approach enables manufacturers to produce a single global stock-keeping unit, customizing it with the appropriate regional network credentials just before shipping. By pre-configuring devices based on their destination, manufacturers ensure reliable out-of-the-box connectivity when devices power on in the field, while simultaneously reducing supply chain complexity and operational logistics costs.
By moving away from fragmented, proprietary technologies and adopting standardized protocols such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, and the forthcoming 5G eRedCap, the telecommunications industry has established a highly stable platform for large-scale enterprise digitalization.
Upcoming 6G and satellite connectivity
The evolution of hardware from physical cards to highly integrated eSIM and iSIM architectures, combined with the flexible over-the-air onboarding capabilities of the SGP.32 standard, now effectively resolves the logistical and financial hurdles of global device management.
The upcoming 6G mobile networks will build on these technologies. Additionally, it will add cellular non-terrestrial networks (NTN) for true worldwide connectivity.
Together, these advancements ensure that the foundational infrastructure for massive machine-type communications is both scalable and highly secure.
See also:
Nokia 6G Horizon, AI, Integration, and Beyond
What Comes Next for Arduino after Qualcomm’s Acquisition?
Wienke Giezeman Shares Vision on Low Power Networks