Unlocking Global Scalability with Remote SIM Provisioning for Enterprise & IoT

The IoT forecast

The Internet of Things (IoT) sector is growing at an unprecedented pace. Recent technological advancements like eSIMs, edge computing, and enterprise 5G networks have paved the way for a global surge in connected device usage. By 2028, the IoT market is expected to generate over $1.5 trillion in revenue across 27 billion connected devices, which equates to more than three for every person on earth.

As with all rapid growth industries, this spiralling demand creates both opportunities and challenges for the companies involved. Catering to this new development requires a sustainable, flexible, and scalable connectivity strategy. By harnessing new innovations in eSIM and Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP), IoT businesses can prepare for this new market and develop a sustainable connectivity infrastructure for years to come.

One notable effect of this industry shift is that the limitations of physical SIM cards are being increasingly exposed. Modern SIM cards are a complex amalgam of gold, silicon and PVC, and must be physically inserted into a device to store SIM information. The emergence of software-based SIM alternatives (most notably the eSIM) over the last decade may eventually make SIM cards obsolete.

eSIM and RSP

eSIMs (or embedded SIMs) have become widely accepted in both IoT and consumer contexts. These are software-based SIM profiles that are downloaded and stored on a microchip (the eUICC) embedded within the hardware of the receiving device.  

A key benefit to eSIMs is that they can be instantly deployed to devices around the world, either via request from the device-end (a “pull”) or remote activation by the network operator (a “push”). The process of deploying, activating and managing eSIM profiles via digital means is known as SIM discovery, or Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP). RSP functionality is a core benefit of eSIM technology and introduces a wealth of potential for the IoT sector.  

eSIMs, SIM provisioning, and environmental sustainability

A contributing factor to the rise of eSIMs among IoT businesses is the reduction of plastic waste. SIM cards are a major contributor to electronic waste, responsible for 18,000 tons of landfill annually. This is partly due to the sheer volume of eSIMs produced and disposed of each year, and partly due to their complex, non-recyclable composition.

Plastic waste aside, the CO2 emissions from the manufacture and transport of physical SIM cards are eliminated by Remote SIM Provisioning.

Sustainability is an essential requirement for the IoT industry: the sharp rise in data requirements demands an environmentally focused industry approach. Greater volumes of data require drastic strategic and technological shifts to mitigate power consumption and environmental impact caused by an expanded IoT industry. 

While eSIMs and RSP alone will not address this problem, eliminating the waste and associated CO2 emissions caused by their manufacture and transport is a straightforward step for many companies.

eSIMs and IoT

The eSIM was initially developed for the IoT industry in 2012 to remotely connect devices where a physical SIM card insertion would be impractical or impossible. In the intervening years, the multiple advantages of eSIM technology have seen them cross over to consumer mobiles and personal electronics, alongside commercial devices. Most flagship mobile phones sold today are eSIM-compatible, and the technology is predicted to account for the majority of smartphone connections by 2028.

While there are niche cases in the Machine to Machine (M2M) or IoT industry where a robust SIM card is still preferable, the eSIM, underpinned by new security and implementation protocols like SGP.32, is widely seen as the new standard SIM format for private and industrial devices.

Physical SIMs and IoT

The drawbacks of consumer-grade physical SIM cards are mirrored in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) or IoT contexts: the risk of loss or damage, the need to keep track of individual cards, and the limited number of SIMs per device. These issues are amplified in the IoT industry, where companies often manage vast fleets of connected devices. They also present challenges unique to the IoT sector:

• Worldwide deployment: Many IoT businesses are multinational operations with globally dispersed device fleets. Physical SIM cards present a logistical challenge, requiring regular international delivery. Aside from the environmental and financial impact of a worldwide supply chain, multinational connectivity often requires the complex negotiation and management of individual contracts for every country of operation. In the short term, this can absorb considerable administrative efforts and costs. In the longer term, the unfavorable cost-benefit can ultimately prevent expansion and growth.

• Physical installation: As physical SIMs are at risk of damage, replacing an IoT SIM is rarely as simple as switching a consumer SIM. Unlike consumer electronic devices, many IoT devices are located in inaccessible or remote points, where installing a new SIM card or replacing a damaged one is rarely a straightforward process. This can also lead to an increase in device downtime, which has knock-on effects for the company operations.

• Extensive fleet management: Large-scale device fleets seen in many IoT contexts require continuous monitoring and maintenance to remain viable. The larger the fleet, the greater the effort required to track the status of each SIM. A key advantage of eSIM and RSP technology is that it allows for instantaneous mass deployment, management, and recall of multiple SIM profiles, rather than each one individually.

SK Telecom and the risks of physical SIM cards

Many of these issues were laid bare in the recent SK Telecom data breach.

In April 2025, the largest mobile provider in South Korea, SK Telecom, suffered a cyberattack that exposed personal data from the network’s 23 million customers. In response, SKT issued a mass product recall of all customers’ Universal SIM (USIM) cards. While SKT also offered replacement eSIMs, many customers needed to physically exchange their SIM cards at their local SKT branch, leading to lengthy queues, thousands of cancelled subscriptions, and reputational damage. The rush manufacture and issuance of millions of replacement SIM cards added an additional logistical and financial burden.

While not every cyberattack can be predicted or avoided, having an RSP strategy in place allows for immediate network response to service interruptions or security breaches.

From routine security updates to mass recalls or rapid market entries, a digital-first SIM infrastructure allows mass issuing, recall, and management of thousands of eSIMs from one central platform.

eSIM adoption

While eSIMs are widely viewed as the logical evolution of physical SIM cards, barriers to total adoption still exist.

An eSIM can only function on an eSIM-enabled device with an embedded eUICC chip. While this covers the majority of new flagship smartphones and modern connected devices, IoT businesses may be unwilling or unable to replace older devices with eSIM-enabled ones. IoT SIM cards are generally more robust than consumer-grade ones, built to provide years of continuous operation and to resist extreme environments. Depending on the use case, SIM cards may still be more efficient or cost-effective than eSIMs in specific IoT contexts.

In most cases, however, eSIMs offer a clear advantage for operator, customer, and environment. To accelerate the uptake of eSIMs, the mobile industry regulatory body GSMA introduced SGP.32.

SGP.32: simplifying global IoT scalability

SGP.32 is a protocol established by the largest mobile industry regulatory body, the GSMA. Designed to promote the uptake of eSIMs by the IoT industry, SGP.32 establishes a set of eSIM standards that make it simpler for IoT businesses to integrate eSIM profiles within their device fleets and accelerate go-to-market time for new M2M eSIM networks.

In essence, it simplifies M2M eSIM adoption and enables manageable IoT growth at scale without compromising on connectivity or security.

Further benefits of eSIM and RSP

For IoT businesses, M2M RSP should be a core element of any connectivity infrastructure. M2M Remote SIM provisioning is a transformative development that provides instant, worldwide over-the-air (OTA) deployment, management, recall, and analysis of entire device fleets through a single centralized platform.

• Remote activation: A key advantage of eSIM for consumer network operators is the drastic improvement in operational efficiency they offer. This is perhaps most apparent in multinational enterprises, where RSP allows eSIM profiles to be instantly deployed to a specific device, anywhere in the world, from a centralized software platform. Global discovery services like Apple’s ALS or Google’s Discovery offer viable RSP channels for a wide range of devices. What previously required a global supply chain and a stratified logistical network can now be achieved at the touch of a button.

• Management and analytics: The cloud-based monitoring and management capabilities of eSIM provides IoT companies with a new depth of analytics and real-time alert systems. Companies can instantly monitor entire device fleets and proactively apply security patches and software updates to continually optimize fleet efficiency. SIM provisioning services like 1GLOBAL RSP provide real-time reporting for global fleets in a single, centralized digital platform.

• Carrier switching: With eSIM, carrier switching is an instant, remote, digital process. Any IoT business can now change networks for individual devices or entire fleets in seconds. The potential of this transformative development is still being explored, though a major advantage is the acceleration of IoT deployments in new regions and the enabling of rapid global scalability.

Crucially, instant carrier switching adds a vital layer of network redundancy to IoT networks. Devices need no longer rely on connectivity from a single local mobile network: when connected to an international operator like 1GLOBAL, IoT devices will continually connect to the best of several local networks, avoiding downtime and ensuring consistent connectivity, regardless of location. The 600+ carrier 1GLOBAL network connects devices to, on average, 3+ local networks in each of 190+ countries.

1GLOBAL Remote SIM Provisioning

With over 50 million eSIMs deployed and dozens of partners, 1GLOBAL is a leading RSP service provider for consumer and M2M devices. The proprietary 1GLOBAL API is built to integrate with existing Mobile Device Management (MDM) and backend systems, allowing for automated RSP services.

A global core network and wealth of eSIM and IoT industry knowledge allow businesses using 1GLOBAL RSP to develop a sustainable, scalable, and flexible SIM provisioning infrastructure that readies them for the ongoing eSIM revolution. Learn more about 1GLOBAL SIM provisioning or speak to our team directly to explore how you can integrate 1GLOBAL RSP solutions within your organization.