While IoT sim cards are virtually indistinguishable from regular sim cards on the surface, these devices come with added technical features that make them highly unique. Both perform the vital function of providing connectivity, but IoT sims go beyond this and offer an additional range of features and benefits.
The difference between these two sim card types is their intended uses, as traditional sim cards are used in mobile phones while IoT sims are typically used by commercial enterprises. Below, we explain what you can do with IoT sims and why they’re unique.
Roaming and coverage
IoT sims offer users much greater coverage, with more stable connections, and charge you at a single rate across all networks. With regular sims, you can end up paying high fees for roaming, but with IoT sims, the costs are transparent and you know which networks you have access to.
Traditional sim cards force you to switch to the cheapest networks, resulting in unstable connections. This can mean waiting up to 5 times longer for a connection to be established. IoT sims can offer you excellent coverage on a global scale, with one fixed cost across networks.
Contracts and charges
IoT sims offer users much greater flexibility in terms of contracts, as IoT contracts can be paused and restarted at the user’s command, free of charge. This means that contracts can be turned on and off based on how much you use them, saving you money.
There is also no minimum term with these contracts, which differs to contracts with traditional network providers, as they are usually 1 or 2-year terms at a minimum. Further, with normal smartphone sim cards, data allowances are applied to a single account linked with a single sim card, but with IoT, sims data is pooled between all cards. This means you get more data for less money.
Control and management
Because IoT sims were originally designed for commercial use out in the field, these sims allow various capabilities that are well-suited for these purposes. For example, IoT sims enable remote access so that you can manage the devices of all your team members and monitor their data usage.
You can also remotely deactivate sim cards if devices are lost, or pause them temporarily if you need to. You can always view the location of employees because the sims are trackable from a central panel, and you can enable theft protection measures that deactivate devices with unauthorized users.
Various sim types
Another great thing about IoT sims is that they are integratable with any device. Nowadays, many phones come with sim cards built-in, which isn’t fit for purpose when it comes to IoT projects. IoT sims come in all size variations, from mini to nano, but they also come with different levels of durability.
IoT sims can be made to survive sub-zero temperatures, extremely hot temperatures or dust and moisture exposure. Industrial-grade IoT sims are suitable for any working environment.
