Scaling eSIM in IoT markets: new tech and market developments should help accelerate adoption

eSIM adoption in the IoT market is still low relative to its long-term potential. As new developments should help accelerate this, we surveyed 100 operators globally to understand their views on three main areas of eSIM. When operators speak to their enterprise customers about the benefits of eSIM for IoT deployments, security and scalability are the eSIM benefits most often included in their conversations to drive interest in eSIM deployments. There is a consensus among operators that enterprise demands for eSIM-enabled solutions will grow across most industries during 2024–2025, with Smart Cities leading the way. Looking further ahead, operators expect eSIM to account for 37% of the total number of cellular IoT connections by 2030, followed by the integrated SIM (iSIM) at 34% and the traditional removable SIM at 29%.