Blogs
17 April 2025
Reading Time: 6 mins
Eseye
IoT Hardware and Connectivity Specialists
LinkedInOne of the biggest barriers to large scale or international IoT deployments is roaming, or the issue of permanent roaming to be more specific. Roaming was originally designed for consumer mobile devices that would only spend short periods of time as a guest on visited networks, for example when travelling for leisure or business trips overseas. But some enterprise IoT applications require multi-national deployments or devices with the ability to roam for long periods (5-10 years), even permanently.
These challenges mean enterprises that have a need to deploy globally often have to deploy IoT devices using a variety of local SIM providers with different connectivity configurations for each region, losing any economies of scale.
Secondly, IoT devices that roam internationally run the risk of losing connectivity when they are located in a different geography, putting the entire business model in danger. When an IoT device roams onto a network outside its home country for more than 90 days, it is deemed to be permanently roaming, and risks being disconnected from the network.
It’s also not uncommon for commercial disputes to derail roaming agreements between carriers. This means that even the largest operators lack the roaming footprint to solve global IoT by themselves. For Tier 1 mobile network operators (MNOs), the lack of an attractive single SKU global IoT solution could mean losing a large customer.
Without guaranteed in-country connectivity, IoT business cases become untenable for MNOs, and customer projects cannot scale, creating unacceptable levels of uncertainty and risk around IoT initiatives.
But international IoT deployments are the future, and today that means relying on roaming in the majority of cases. Indeed, roaming IoT is generating data at a faster rate than ever before. According to forecasts by Juniper Research, the global amount of data generated by roaming IoT connections will increase from 86 petabytes in 2022 to 1,100 petabytes by 2027.
Demand is clearly not going away. So, what’s the solution to deliver truly global, resilient IoT?
What is Federated Localization?
Tier 1 mobile operators and specialized MVNOs using MCC 901 SIMs (non-geographic or ‘global’ SIMs) have historically offered customers coverage via wholesale roaming agreements with other operators around the world.
But even this approach to solving roaming for IoT leaves gaps as they lack sufficient coverage to support commercial global IoT deployments, and ultimately it still requires a significant number of agreements to be put in place.
Federated localization, also known as eSIM localization, offers a compelling alternative to traditional roaming.
A localized approach critically avoids the risks of permanent roaming – including devices being disconnected with little or no notice.
Instead of the traditional approach of a home SIM roaming onto a visited network, federation works by localizing device connections across a series of approved operators. This means that operators and their customers can avoid the restrictions associated with roaming, address its limitations and benefit from a more robust and resilient global connectivity solution.
When it comes to supporting IoT connectivity for multi-region deployments, there’s a lot to be said for the knowledge and expertise of a specialist partner. IoT initiatives are fraught with challenges and having access to specialists can ensure timely project delivery, especially when your IoT MVNO partner comes to onboarding new connectivity providers (MNOs) to give you and your customers access to other regions.
In federated localization, the use of a combined multi-IMSI and eUICC capable eSIM gives enterprises access to multiple networks including localization options and allows for seamless switching between networks. eSIM localization means giving customers the power to control their costs and delivers a predictable connectivity service by localizing the SIM to a home network – essentially so that device looks like it is using a local operator SIM.
Furthermore, the optimization benefits of eSIM localization ensures devices connect to the best or most appropriate of the available networks, providing a reliable, consistent and high-quality service. This results in faster data speeds, lower latency, and more reliable uptime.
An additional benefit of eSIM orchestration platform technology is that it is designed to adapt to the evolving connectivity landscape to future proof deployments, such as the impending introduction of SGP.32 eSIM remote SIM provisioning (RSP) standard due late 2025.
By enhancing your offering to deliver truly global IoT connectivity, you can quickly go to market with cost-effective, high-quality, and profitable services and guarantee your customers consistent uptime of almost 100% across their estates, wherever devices are located.
Key benefits of the AnyNet Federation
To create global coverage that’s truly global, Eseye’s AnyNet Federation model brings together over 25 interconnects offering a combined access to over 800 operators to deliver close to 100% global connectivity through a powerful combination of localized and approved roaming partnerships.
A federated approach solves the challenges associated with international IoT and provides the foundation for eSIM switching to localize to the best connection based on the device’s location.
One of the main benefits of localization is a more equitable financial model for operators. MNOs have been losing revenue because of the declining cost of data, where the price of 1MB has gone down by 90% in the last six years, and while a growing portion of revenue comes from accepting inbound IoT roaming, the decline in data prices means there is a financial disincentive for them to accept inbound IoT roaming traffic. But research from Kaleido Intelligence found that the revenue potential for localized eSIMs is as much as five times greater, improving the financial viability of IoT as a business to be supported.
Through a single global contract and unified rate plan, the AnyNet Federation gives enterprises immediate access to over 800 networks without the pain of negotiating contracts and integrating directly with individual carriers. This is another benefit – for MNOs to build out their own federation of networks and interconnects is an incredibly resource intensive activity. Developing and integrating a new direct interconnect adds another layer of difficulty, as engineering, billing, and administrative resources to support global IoT operations becomes increasingly complex and expensive.
The leading eSIM orchestration platform for MNOs
To solve the issue for MNOs Eseye has built Integra, the leading eSIM orchestration and global connectivity management solution. Integra provides secure, resilient, and low cost global IoT connectivity with the ability to localize connections through the AnyNet Federation.
Integra is available as a white-label solution for MNOs, so your customers get a seamless user experience with federated localization, and a pay-as-you-go model that enables you to sell single SKU, multi-operator global eSIM IoT connectivity solutions.
We have teamed up with some of the world’s leading Tier 1 operators including AT&T, TELUS and MTN, and our platform is completely scalable and capable of handling millions of connections.
Integra is designed to simplify your operations with a single platform, single set of APIs, and a single global APN, as well as the ability to manage all billing via one platform. Additional operator and customer management functionality – such as advanced billing set up, and customer portfolio management – is also offered as part of the solution.
Integra can be seamlessly overlaid and integrated with your existing CMPs through API integrations, ensuring that you can enhance your current systems without major disruptions. However, it is also robust and versatile enough to serve as a complete replacement solution, offering you a more streamlined and cost-effective alternative to traditional CMPs.
Furthermore, it is offered as a white-labelled solution, so your customers get a seamless customer and user experience. It offers federated localization, and a pay-as-you-go model that enables you to sell single SKU, multi-operator global eSIM IoT connectivity solutions to your customers. It gives you detailed oversight of every device in your customer’s IoT estate in a single view, together with the ability to manage all network connections centrally.
Powering IoT connectivity for MNOs
TELUS extends global reach with new platform capability
Canada’s second largest MNO, TELUS has operations in more than 25 countries, and the most extensive dedicated IoT network in its home market. Through integrating Eseye’s Integra solution into its core IoT platform, TELUS Global Connect, the operator provides its customers with international cellular connectivity services for their global IoT operations. These meet the unique needs of a broad range of use cases, including fleet management, healthcare, Agritech, and mining.
We don’t just look at our domestic IoT capabilities, but how we’re enabling our customers to expand outside of Canada on a global level. What really attracted us to the Eseye solution was the multi-SIM switching capability that allows us to put different carrier profiles onto a SIM, which enables the customer to move the device around the world.”
Jodi Baxter, Vice-President, 5G & Industry Solutions, TELUS.MTN diversifies IoT services
MTN South Africa is Africa’s largest mobile network operator. It provides voice, data, fintech, digital, enterprise, wholesale, and API services to over 36.5 million customers in South Africa alone. By integrating Eseye’s Integra IoT Platform into its core IoT infrastructure, MTN offers its customers advanced IoT services, including connectivity management, IoT bundles, and value-added services tailored to various industries such as healthcare, retail, and logistics.
Our mission is to be Africa’s leading digital platform, unlocking economic growth through financial and digital solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Our strategic partnership with Eseye will enable us to sell diverse IoT services such as connectivity, IoT bundles, and value-added services to help our customers meet their IoT global needs.”
Lawrence Juku, Head of IoT Solutions, MTN Business.
Eseye
IoT Hardware and Connectivity Specialists
LinkedInEseye brings decades of end-to-end expertise to integrate and optimise IoT connectivity delivering near 100% uptime. From idea to implementation and beyond, we deliver lasting value from IoT. Nobody does IoT better.
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