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With access to over 605 MNO’s in over 217 countries. We make connecting anything using a IoT SIM card, easy.
Scale your IoT Project with our Core IoT Network, which gives you:
A single contract with access to our library of IMSI providers
Globally compliant SIM cards
One integration via REST API
A single point of contact for 24/7 support
Plastic, embedded or integrated SIM cards
All managed through a single pane of glass.
We bring your connected devices a cost efficient, reliable and secure connectivity solution.
We provide a multi-network SIM card that gives any connected device the best coverage, wherever it is in the world, with flexibility that offers reliability, performance and scale, all within your control.
More advanced and more cost-effective than eUICC solutions: The patented SIM provides enhanced flexibility and control with Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP), autonomous switching and unique device protection.
A library of global providers offers you access to networks no matter where your device is in the world, with a choice of localised or roaming on the same SIM card.
With multiple packet gateways on several continents, integrating to local MNOs, we deliver the lowest latency and maximum bandwidth.
Either use our highly secure global APN, or build your own. This approach ensures Direct Traffic delivery to your own data centre or cloud provider instead of going over the internet.
End-to-end cloud based connectivity management, billing and core network with flexible deployment models to get your IoT projects up and running fast.
Our SIMs are capable of operating in 217 countries, using 12 IMSI Providers and 605 mobile network operators available on our core network. Providing our clients’ and their devices true global coverage.
Some questions we have been asked over the years regarding cellular connectivity and IoT
There are some key questions to ask yourself when choosing a connectivity partner for your IoT Project.
USE CASE questions:
Is latency an issue? Do we require uninterrupted Service? Do we need connectivity across several countries? What format SIM do I need – is it required to be integrated or inserted? Is my device’s firewall able to operate with multi-IMSI’s?
Can this potential provider offer me SIMs that fulfil these Use Case requirements
Ensure that your connectivity partner can provide you with a multi-IMSI SIM card, which will allow you to connect to multiple operators for cost efficiency and latency management.
When you have issues with connectivity on your IoT devices, and there will be some, often speed to resolution is of the essence. Resolutions will be quicker and more successful if you can talk direct to connectivity experts who understand the device and the way it might operate on the network. Not many MNOs deliver this. At CommsCloud, you get 24/7 support from our engineers because we understand the urgency when managing your IoT project.
IMSI stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, which is a 15-digit unique number allocated to every user in a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM). The IMSI is used by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and is an important part of the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) profile.
The 15 digits of the IMSI number consist of three parts that help identify the user:
Because an IoT solution is far more likely to travel, needing to connect locally wherever users might be. Think about a Cargo company that is part of an international supply and requires tracking and monitoring their vehicles. As it moves across different regions where various operators will support connectivity, in just one journey, IoT devices might need to switch networks multiple times. With a single IMSI solution, they can’t help but lose coverage or experience gaps in service, and yet the business cannot afford to lose coverage or visibility of the devices’ location, or of any other relevant metrics it may be sending via a cloud integration.
A single IMSI provides a smaller list of network operators covered. Without a multi-IMSI solution, you’re opening yourself up to risk in terms of network faults. If your local network or the home network from the MNO goes down, you have no service at all, which can be catastrophic for critical IoT use cases. With a multi-IMSI applet, your devices can automatically connect to the networks which are held by the other IMSIs on the SIM, and no harm is done.
The quick answer is, no. While an eUICC SIM can hold multiple operator profiles, you can’t switch seamlessly from one to the other. In fact, when you change your operator, you need to completely move from the previous one, and integrate with a different Subscription Manager Secure Routing service (SM-SR) and the Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SM-DP) for the new operator. As most eUICCs are registered to a specific SM-SR platform, this can add a lot of expense and overhead in integration. Every time you want to add an MNO to your eUICC, each partnership will need to be entered into individually, with a separate contract and service level agreement (SLA) to manage.
In contrast, a multi-IMSI technology solution is all managed through a single connectivity provider, who themselves holds the existing relationships with multiple network operators, each providing their international mobile subscriber identities, and then held in a single SIM. When devices need additional coverage, or a network fault is detected, these profiles can be switched OTA (over the air), allowing for remote SIM provisioning of the new IMSI, in real-time.
Another great win for IoT customers who utilize multi-IMSI SIM cards is the ability to sidestep over-reliance on roaming agreements. With roaming partners, there are a lot of regulations and hoops to jump through. In some countries roaming is not suitable at all, and in others there is a strict time limit on how long an IoT solution can connect to the networks and remain compliant.
As multi-IMSI connectivity relies on direct relationships with the local network operators, your IoT devices are always using local connectivity, and never need to rely on roaming agreements alone, only as part of a smart, flexible and compliant full connectivity solution. It’s the simplest way to achieve compliant global connectivity that we’ve ever heard of!
An IMSI identifies the user in the GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) and is a portion of the SIM profile, but it doesn’t identify the SIM card itself. The Integrated Circuit Card ID (ICCID number) identifies the actual SIM card itself and not necessarily the user. For example, you could have three SIM cards for three separate devices you use, and each SIM card would have a unique ICCID. You would still only have one IMSI to identify you as the device user. Your MSO would use your IMSI within your SIM cards to authenticate your device when it attempts to connect to a network.
Looking at it another way: each mobile phone has a separate identification number that’s unique to each device called the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. So if you had two mobile phones, each phone would have a IMEI number, each of your two SIM cards would have a unique ICCID, and you would still only have one IMSI number. This could be different depending on your network provider
In most situations, having only one IMSI isn’t a problem for most standard use projects. But this can cause problems with the IoT for device managers. If you have many connected devices, you might experience these two main challenges with your IMSIs:
Lack of coverage across Locations
With some devices, you might be require coverage across the length and breadth of one country, or even multiple countries. Within each country, your devices will only be able to connect with that MNO. If that MNO has poor coverage in an area, your devices can lose connectivity. There is the option to try and connect through your MNOs roaming partners in these areas, but these networks might not be the best connections in that area or results in hefty costs. So your national or international IoT network can suffer from connectivity issues with a traditional one IMSI MNO provider.
IMSI Network Challenges
Your IMSI forces you to rely on a single network carrier. While that can keep things simple, the MNOs weaknesses become your weaknesses. Dead zones, outdated technology, and changing prices affect you and you have little control over it. You might have to pay more for your coverage if your MNO raises the cost, or experience dead zones without failover. An single IMSI can tether you to the individual network’s challenges.
You have worked hard to launch your IoT project. You want to ensure that your provider can give your IoT project appropriate coverage, consistent pricing, and flexibility. You don’t want your IoT project suffering from the lack of coverage and network challenges of traditional MNOs, especially if it spans multiple countries or continents.
Instead, look for services providers that can provide you with the control of your IMSI network and coverage.
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