A new report from the IoT market research firm Berg Insight indicates that IoT managed service providers have more than 50-million IoT subscribers worldwide.
In Europe and North America, these players hold a combined market share of 15% to 20%.
Most IoT managed service providers operate as full MVNOs using their own core networks and platforms featuring connectivity management controls and other value-added services.
A key differentiator for IoT managed service providers is the ability to aggregate multiple wireless wide area networks and thus provide superior area coverage, multi-domestic footprints and multi-technology connectivity on a single platform.
Aeris and KORE Wireless have consolidated their positions as leading players in North America, with 14-million and 13-million cellular IoT subscribers respectively at the end of 2019. Sierra Wireless has established a trans-Atlantic subscriber base with 3,6-million IoT connections in both Europe and North America.
In Europe, Wireless Logic is the largest IoT managed service provider with about 3,5-million subscribers. The company is systematically expanding its regional presence through a combination of strategic acquisitions and organic growth. 1NCE has grown rapidly to become the runner up in Europe since its launch in 2018, providing cellular IoT connectivity to about 3 million devices at the end of 2019.
Additional IoT managed service providers are Cubic Telecom, BICS, Arm, Transatel and Eseye having between 2-million and 3-million cellular IoT subscribers each.
“IoT managed service providers play an increasingly important role in the fast-growing international connectivity segment,” says Fredrik Stalbrand, senior analyst at Berg Insight.
Several IoT managed service providers are leading the commercialisation of advanced SIM solutions, based on eUICCs and multi-IMSI SIMs or a combination of the two.
“These solutions offer an alternative to the roaming model, enabling devices to automatically connect to a local cellular network,” Stalbrand adds.