eSIM Device Installations to Reach 3.4 Billion Globally by
2025; Driven by Consumer Sector Adoption
A new Juniper Research study
found that the number of eSIMs installed in connected devices will increase
from 1.2 billion in 2021, to 3.4 billion in 2025; representing a growth of
180%. eSIMs are modules that are embedded directly into devices; providing
cellular connectivity and storing multiple network operator profiles.
The new research, eSIMs: Sector Analysis, Emerging
Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2021-2025, independently
assessed eSIM adoption and demand in the consumer sector, industrial sector,
and public sector, and predicts that the consumer sector will account for 94%
of global eSIM installations by 2025. It anticipates that established adoption
of eSIM frameworks from consumer device vendors, such as Apple and Google, will
accelerate the growth of eSIMs in consumer devices ahead of the industrial and
public sectors.
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Consumer Market Key to Fulfilling eSIM Potential
The research found that global eSIM deployments across all consumer verticals
will increase by 170% over the next four years, with widespread adoption
reliant on backing from network operators. It urges device manufacturers to
place pressure on operators to support eSIM frameworks and accelerate market
maturation.
However, a fragmentation of hardware vendors in the cellular IoT device market
will require each vertical to adopt a combination of wireless technologies,
hardware, and management tools. In turn, it predicts that specialist vendors
will emerge that provide robust eSIM form factors for industrial environments.
eSIM Opportunities Across Industrial Sectors
The study identified three key areas of focus for eSIM adoption in the
industrial sector:
1. Oil and Gas
2. Manufacturing
3. Logistics
It suggests
that the development of rugged form factors will position vendors well to
capitalise on the market, as eSIM installations in these verticals grow from 28
million units in 2021 to 116 million by 2025.
Research author Scarlett Woodford noted: ‘Ensuring convenience for the end
user must remain the top priority for eSIM management platform providers. To do
so, they must provide a level of service comparable to that found with
traditional SIM deployments.’
Source: Juniper Research media announcement