International roaming hasn’t disappeared—but it’s no longer the default answer for global IoT. According to the Kaleido Intelligence report, The Connectivity Revolution: What Every IoT Leader Must Prepare For, only some two-to-three percent of IoT network providers still view a global roaming SIM as the “best” way to achieve global IoT connectivity. While roaming continues to play an important role, it is clear that the industry recognizes it cannot meet all requirements on its own. Leaders are increasingly combining roaming with local or regional breakouts and programmable SIM approaches (multi-IMSI and eSIM with SGP.32) to deliver both performance and regulatory compliance.
Operators have long struggled with IoT roaming cost structures that were built around voice-centric services and don’t map well to today’s data-driven IoT models. While adoption of alternative technologies, including programmable SIM, eSIM, and new standards like SGP.32, has historically been slow, there is now strong growth among many international operators looking to satisfy the business needs of enterprise customers that expect stable pricing, regulatory compliance, and deterministic performance across borders. To stay relevant, MNOs are embracing these technologies to ensure that they can deliver the control, resilience, and value their customers demand.
In its report, Kaleido notes that, “Roaming remains a key element of supporting IoT connectivity, but there is an industrywide recognition that it cannot solve all customer requirements.”
Source: rcrwireless.com
