What is an IoT SIM card?

IoT – or M2M – SIM cards provide access to cellular networks to connect devices – with a management platform to monitor and operate device connections at scale. If you want two or more ‘Things’ (connected devices) to communicate with each other, then you need a data connection. In most cases, a standard cellular mobile SIM (or consumer SIM) won’t cut it.

How is a consumer SIM different from an IoT M2M SIM?

Consumer SIMs are bound to one local network operator and impose high roaming costs for data connections in foreign countries or outside a common tariff zone. IoT SIMs meanwhile give your devices access to multiple networks per country, a single tariff plan for global use, and flexible, usage-based contract terms. IoT SIMs also have more memory, durability and a longer lifespan than consumer SIMs. IoT SIMs usually come with a web-based platform for remote SIM and connectivity management. They come in multiple form factors like the industrial-grade or MFF2 for durability against extreme environments – heat, corrosion, vibration. Check out our detailed article on the differences between a consumer SIM and an IoT M2M SIM.

How much does an IoT SIM card cost?

The price can start from less than EUR 2 for a commercial-grade EMnify IoT SIM and less than EUR 3 for an industrial-grade EMnify IoT SIM depending on your order volume. A discount automatically applies as more SIM cards are purchased within an order. New users can get three EMnify IoT SIM cards for free when signing up for an evaluation. Try it out for yourself, at no cost, for a 60-day trial. Visit EMnify Pricing Page to learn more.

How do I activate my IoT SIM card?

Activating an IoT SIM card is straightforward and usually only involves a few simple steps. Often there is more than one way to activate a SIM – for example, either through a connectivity management portal, API or sometimes even a no-code solution. IoT SIM cards can be registered and activated individually or in bulk – significantly speeding things up when connecting a large fleet of devices.

What is factory test mode?

You also have an option to enable factory test mode where your devices are pre-activated and allocated with a fixed amount of free data traffic. During factory test mode, there is no SIM hosting fees and data charges, allowing you to test device connections during QA processes and ship preactivated devices to customers without incurring connectivity costs. Once your devices use up the free data after being deployed, the EMnify SIM cards automatically switch to “active”, and only then your monthly billing starts. There is no need to activate your SIM cards when using factory test mode.

How can I monitor the performance of my SIM cards?

A connectivity management portal will typically provide access to real-time monitoring of all connected devices, tracking things like connection status, data usage and cost. The EMnify Portal also provides tools like connectivity reset and network blocklist that let you quickly troubleshoot connection issues and reduce Tier-II support tickets. If you prefer monitoring device connectivity and data consumption directly from your existing operational dashboards and application, the EMnify Data Streamer lets you do so. Learn more about Data Streamer or view our Integration guides for detailed instructions

eSIM is a SIM type that allows you to change an operator profile Over-the-Air (OTA) with remote SIM provisioning capability. The term eSIM could also be interchangeably used to indicate an MFF2 SIM type that gets soldered directly into a cellular device.

How do I swap carriers/Can I choose whichever carriers I want?

The EMnify SIM card uses multi-IMSI approach and automatically selects the best-quality network at your device location. In cases where you want to select a specific operator for your devices, the network blocklist function allows you to proactively switch to your preferred network.

Does EMnify IoT SIM support Narrowband-IoT and LTE-M?

Yes. EMnify IoT SIM supports multiple cellular technologies including LTE-M and NB-IoT. Visit our LTE-M coverage page and NB-IoT coverage page to find out where your devices can connect via these two technologies using the EMnify SIM.

Streamlined Global Connectivity

Narrowband IoT Coverage

emnify’s SuperNetwork empowers robust IoT connectivity, be it underground, indoors, across the countryside, or in remote locations, thanks to our extensive NB-IoT coverage.

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Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) at a glance

Low cost, low power and excellent range

Excellent Range and Penetration

With a maximum theoretical link budget of 164 dB, NB-IoT offers the best range and penetration capabilities, making it ideal for applications in remote areas or inside buildings where signal strength can be a challenge.

Low Power Consumption

Power Saving Mode (PSM) and Extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) features drastically reduce energy usage and enable longer battery life for your IoT devices. These are critical features for devices intended to operate for long periods without the need for frequent battery replacements or recharging.

Low Cost

The reduced complexity of radio signal processing simplifies chipset design, leading to module costs that can be as low as 20% of traditional LTE module prices.

NB-IoT Coverage Worldwide

All you need to know about NB-IoT

Global Roaming

NB-IoT roaming is currently limited, with only a few providers offering multi-network NB-IoT access for global IoT deployments. As the industry shifts from a purely volume-based intercarrier billing model to one incorporating base pricing per device, we anticipate a broader global reach.

PSM and eDRX Availability

PSM and eDRX are essential for maximizing power efficiency in cellular LPWAN. It’s vital to ensure they are compatible with your NB-IoT network services, particularly in use-cases where low power consumption is paramount.

Technology Adoption

Although the NB-IoT standardization process was finalized in 2016, the technology roll-out has been slow. To date, NB-IoT has been deployed in fewer than one-third of all countries.

NB-IoT Hardware Recommendations

Given the current state of global NB-IoT deployment, we recommend utilizing cellular LPWAN modules that not only support NB-IoT but also offer fallback to common RAT types. Contact one of our experts to help you with your module selection.

60 Days, All Features, One Platform

Try our platform free of charge. The test kit includes a SIM card, a prepaid data plan, and a 60-day trial of the SuperNetwork platform.

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emnify’s SuperNetwork NB-IoT Coverage

In partnership with global network providers, we constantly conduct coverage and feature (PSM & eDRX) availability tests, ensuring reliable and transparent NB-IoT access for our customers.

Footnote:* Service Level / Coverage Status Definition: Validated: NB-IoT coverage is frequently tested and confirmed for this network. Guaranteed: NB-IoT service is guaranteed with dedicated roaming agreements. ** All coverage data is provided for informational purposes only and are subjected to change. Actual service coverage, quality, and availability may vary based on factors such as network partners’ technology roll-out, SIM version weather, interference, topography, and device model.

Full lists of all networks and countries

Country	Network	NB-IoT Coverage	Frequency bands	PSM availability	eDRX availability
Israel	Pelephone	validated	28	validated	validated
Israel	Partner	validated	28		validated
Singapore	M1	validated	3	validated	validated
Singapore	Singtel	validated	3	validated	validated
Sri Lanka	Mobitel	√	8	√	√
Taiwan	FarEasTone	√	28	√	√
Taiwan	Chunghwa	√	3, 8	√	√
Vietnam	Viettel	√	3	√	√

Country	Network	NB-IoT Coverage	Frequency bands	PSM availability	eDRX availability
Austria	T-Mobile	√	8	√	√
Austria	A1	√	20	√	√
Belgium	Orange	√	3, 20	√	√
	Base	√	20	√	√
	Proximus	√	20	√	√
Croatia	A1	√	20	validated	√
Estonia	Elisa	validated	20	validated
Finland	DNA	validated	3, 8, 20	validated
Germany	Vodafone	√	20	√	√
Greece	Wind	validated	20	validated
Greece	Vodafone	√	20	√	√
Iceland	SIMINN	√	28, 3	√	√
Italy	TIM	√	20	√	√
Italy	Vodafone	√	20	validated	√
Latvia	LMT	√	20	√	√
Netherlands	Vodafone (Ziggo)	√	20	√	√
Slovenia	A1	√	3, 20	√	√
Spain	Vodafone	√	8	√	√
Switzerland	Swisscom	√	20	√	√
Switzerland	Sunrise	√	20	√	√
Turkey	Turkcell	√	3, 20

Country	Network	NB-IoT Coverage	Frequency bands	PSM availability	eDRX availability
Canada	Rogers Wireless	validated	4, 5, 12
Mexico	Radiomovil Dipsa (Telcel)	validated	5	validated	validated
United States	T-Mobile	√	4	√	√

Country	Network	NB-IoT Coverage	Frequency bands	PSM availability	eDRX availability
Chile	Claro	validated	28	validated	validated
Uruguay	Antel	validated	28	validated	validated

Find out how you can benefit from IoT connectivity.

Find out how you can benefit
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Technology that enables devices to connect and communicate at scale.

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Global M2M Connectivity for You

Find out more about our IoT Solution

Global IoT Coverage

The emnify IoT SuperNetwork offers all of the major cellular technologies, including 2G, 3G, 4G-LTE, LTE-M, and NB-IoT.

Satellite IoT Coverage