Verizon’s platform facilitates global IoT management

Verizon Business today announced a global wireless platform that enables centralised deployment and management of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, crossing international borders and tapping into native eSIM and roaming capabilities of partner mobile network operators (MNOs).

With Verizon Global IoT Orchestration, devices operating in multiple geographic regions can connect natively via an eSIM profile from one of Verizon’s international carrier partners and work as a subscriber to the network services, with full technical, commercial and multi-network coverage capabilities from that partner and enabling the use of solutions requiring local connectivity.

Global IoT Orchestration is integrated with the Verizon ThingSpace IoT management platform. Global and domestic IoT connections can be centrally managed from a single dashboard and using an integrated API interface.

Through Verizon’s partnerships with Bell Canada and Telenor, customers can manage multinational eSIM connections in the US, Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. eSIM MNO partners covering more regions are expected to be announced later this year, according to Verizon.

Global IoT solutions ensure more flexibility for equipment manufacturers and system providers. For example, a device manufacturer whose main market is the United States, but who also does business in Europe and Canada, will have its data available and its devices connected worldwide.

With the native eSIM provisioning offered by the Global IoT Orchestration platform, devices can maintain connectivity across international borders as easily as they cross state boundaries, without relying solely on roaming.

“The move towards global IoT reflects the reality of doing business in the age of mass IoT. The number of IoT devices is growing rapidly, and fleets are spreading, so our customers need flexible, reliable connectivity that crosses borders. With our partners Bell Canada, Telenor and others to come, the Verizon Global IoT Orchestration platform will ensure just that – a global presence with seamless IoT eSIM connectivity,” says Debika Bhattacharya, chief product officer, Verizon Business.

In total, the Verizon Global IoT Orchestration platform will enable service coverage in up to 200 countries by combining native and roaming access from Verizon with MNO partners, according to Verizon.

Verizon Global IoT Orchestration is currently available for testing to Verizon Business customers in the United States.

Alternative to eSIM

In addition to cellular networks, connectivity for the Internet of Things is gaining an alternative that comes, literally, from space. Connecting via satellites is becoming an attractive option for IoT applications that work on the global stage, such as logistics, transport, or in remote areas where there is no cellular or terrestrial connectivity.

According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global satellite-based IoT services market was valued at $279.7 million in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.76% to reach $372.6 million by 2033.

Space agencies and commercial companies around the world have been developing low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, boosting the satellite-based IoT services ecosystem. In addition, more research and development activities in the terminal sector and cost-effective IoT modules are contributing to the growth of this market, according to the report.

For example, in December 2022, Astrocast signed a multi-million dollar contract with ArrowSpot for mass production of ArrowTrack SAT devices, integrating hardware and connectivity for Satellite IoT (SatIoT). ArrowSpot’s technology provides the supply chain logistics industry around the world with online information on critical refrigerated cargo and high-value shipments.

Another recent example of this market movement comes from Deutsche Telekom, which announced last February an initiative that seeks to offer truly global IoT, such as satellite connectivity complementing classic terrestrial IoT networks such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, 4G and 5G. To this end, Deutsche Telekom is working with experts from Intelsat and Skylo around use cases involving wind turbine networking in remote regions, weather data logging in at-risk locations and high-performance broadband connections in the high seas.

The ResearchAndMarkets study points to the expansion of terrestrial IoT networks, lower costs of LEO-based satellite connectivity and IoT hardware as drivers of the satellite-based IoT services market. On the other hand, there are challenges such as expensive GEO-based satellite connectivity services, conflicting latency between satellite and terrestrial networks, and the still evolving regulatory framework.