INTELLIGENT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
On-demand
connectivity means
that the mobile
device ecosystem is
no longer limited to
mobile phones.
How embedded
SIMs are
enabling IoT
rollouts
Seamless mobile connectivity, which is
critical for IoT, is possible through embedded
SIMs, explains Sherry Zameer at Gemalto.
44
W
ith everything from smart homes to autonomous
cars, the integration of connected technology in
everyday life is becoming a reality. Indicators
suggest that the Middle East and Africa ICT sector is gearing up
for heavy digital growth over the next few years.
Frost & Sullivan’s latest report shows that four billion
networked devices are expected to be in place in the MENA
region by 2020. The Middle East, and most specifically the GCC,
is now walking into a technology driven future, and Internet of
Things is set to make an even greater impact on society than
earlier digital revolutions.
But before drawing benefit from these things, we need to turn
them on first. We have been using SIM cards for decades, and
they have been getting smaller and smaller as technology has
advanced. The challenge with SIM cards is they are fundamentally
designed for the world of mobile, that is one connection, one
contract, one engagement with your mobile operator.
This is still perfect for the world of the mobile phone, but in
IoT with devices that might not need to be always connected,
with connections that might be moving from one country to the
next as a connected component on an airplane or a tracker on
a parcel, it would be helpful to be able to change connectivity
providers dynamically.
The key to unlocking this on-demand connectivity is the
embedded SIM or eSIM. It is a reprogrammable SIM that comes
in different shapes and sizes. It can be removable or soldered into
Issue 11
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