Number of eSIMs installed in connected devices to reach 3.4B in 2025

The number of eSIMs installed in connected devices will increase from 1.2 billion in 2021, to 3.4 billion in 2025; representing growth of 180%, a Juniper Research study found.

eSIMs are modules embedded directly into devices; providing cellular connectivity and storing multiple network operator profiles.

The research 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 established adoption of eSIM frameworks from consumer device vendors, such as Apple and Google, will accelerate growth of eSIMs in consumer devices ahead of the industrial and public sectors.

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:

• Oil and gas
• Manufacturing
• 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.”