For the past three decades, SIM cards (Subscriber Identity Module cards) have made it simple for subscribers to authenticate and connect to the GSM or CDMA network and retain important data like SMS messages and contacts. Ever since its initial release, the SIM card has become increasingly popular with its users and has established itself as a crucial component of corporate administration. Businesses use SIM cards to connect their everyday operations and workforce.
What Is an IoT SIM Card?
The modern era sees SIM cards being created to meet the specific requirements of IoT or M2M (machine-to-machine) systems as they are more scalable and robust, less expensive and use less power than standard SIM cards. IoT devices often run autonomously, interacting more with other machines than with humans.
A reliable, adaptable and secure network connection is crucial for IoT deployments, which may involve dozens or even millions of these devices. IoT SIM cards or M2M SIM cards are a variation of the standard SIMs that are used in IoT devices keeping in mind the above specifications.
IoT SIM cards work the same way as standard SIMs, wherein you establish a connection, authenticate it, monitor and store important information. Installing and activating an IoT SIM may be different from the standard SIM, for example:
- The device may have an inbuilt SIM (eSIM) or a removable IoT SIM card.
- The device may establish a connection with the service provider that is specially designed for IoT use cases and offers LoRaWAN (a Low Power Wide Area Network) connectivity or other unique capabilities.
- The device may create a connection using keys to authenticate and establish it.
Benefits of IoT SIM Cards Over Standard SIMs
Standard SIMs and IoT SIMs both make sure all internet-capable devices are connected to the internet. Below are some benefits of IoT SIMs over traditional SIMs.
1. Subscription
IoT SIM cards are designed to easily complete and centrally manage all of your IoT subscriptions. You could create personalized data plans using an IoT SIM card that would fit your data and coverage requirements. In the event of a system fault, the management will be alerted immediately along with the information on the specific location and type of issue, helping you save time and money.
2. Security
Hackers constantly target IoT devices because they can use them as access points to the wider network. IoT SIM card offers a high level of security, defending the system and network from online threats to your company. They serve as a hardware security module (HSM) to ensure secure connections from the edge to the centre, by integrating a SIM application which cannot access the internet but can connect with a secure gateway that is located inside the mobile core. You may design your own set of policies for a single or a group of IoT SIM cards with the help of SMS and DATA firewalls, MITM (man-in-the-middle) protection and abnormality detection tools.
3. Durability
Conventional SIM cards and IoT SIM cards both use mini, micro and nano forms. IoT SIM cards further offer the MFF2 (machine-to-machine form factor) embedded SIMs, that are compact and can be attached to a device. Industrial IoT SIMs are a bit thicker and weather-resistant and are ideal for use in devices placed in severe settings like exposure to chemicals, humidity and high and unstable temperatures.
4. Network Connectivity and Coverage
Traditional SIMs confine the customers to a single carrier network and have strict contract terms and expensive roaming fees, which makes the IoT devices logistically challenging, difficult to deploy across many domains and challenging to scale.
IoT SIMs on the other hand include business-oriented capabilities designed for cross-border activities. You can also access different local networks with a single IoT SIM. IoT contract terms offer flexibility to customize to particular business usage needs while streamlining logistics and pricing across nations and networks.
4. Multiple Technologies
Some IoT SIM cards might utilize the same 2G, 3G and 4G cellular technology as ordinary SIM cards used by smartphone users. Some protocols like LTE-M (Long Term Evolution for Machines), NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT) and LoRaWAN were created particularly to address the requirements of IoT contexts.
5. Lifespan
The lifespan of conventional SIMs is only three years, which is considered too short for IoT devices. IoT or M2M SIM cards, on the other hand, are available in a variety of forms with a unique lifespan and a majority of them don’t need to be replaced for up to ten years. Embedded SIMs on your devices are especially tough as they are surface mounted and have a vacuum seal. These are environmentally friendly options for stationary devices and can last for more than ten years, even in harsh conditions.
IoT SIM Cards Business Applications
IoT SIM cards provide benefits to many industries. Some IoT devices that are enabled by IoT SIMs are:
- Smart home devices
- Sensors
- Medical devices
- Agriculture devices
- Transport
- Entertainment
- Cryptocurrency
The main distinction between a standard SIM card and an IoT SIM card is in its performance and usability. An ordinary smartphone SIM card only offers connectivity and does not come with the extra features that IoT connectivity providers offer. The ability to scale your firm is made easier by these enterprise-oriented features.
It’s critical to understand the requirement for IoT SIM cards to operate a successful, scalable organization. You can simplify device administration to cut costs, preserve data security and dependability and confidently deploy your devices far and wide due to the extra functionality and capabilities they offer over consumer SIM cards.
