IoT moves forward after MWC26

Thank you for a fantastic MWC26

MWC26 is over, but the questions we brought home with us are highly relevant. During the week, we met organizations that have moved beyond the initial enthusiasm for IoT and now see connectivity as part of their core business.

The most striking thing was how similar the needs sounded, regardless of industry. Global IoT connectivity needs to be easy to get started with, clear to control, and sustainable over time. If you are facing the next step in your own journey, now is a good time to review what is required before the pilot is scaled up.

What we heard most clearly

There was a lot of energy on the exhibition floor, but also unusually concrete demands. Few wanted to talk about technology for technology's sake. Instead, the conversations focused on how to avoid unnecessary complexity when the solution is to be used in several countries, over a longer period of time, and with clear responsibility for operations.

One theme kept coming up: companies want to be able to start small, learn quickly, and then scale globally without having to change their connectivity strategy halfway through. That's where friction often arises. That's why the choices made in the pilot phase are more important than many people think.

If you want to compare your approach with common pitfalls right now, a brief review of countries, responsibilities, and operating models may be enough to identify where the risks lie.

Three themes from MWC26

Global IoT connectivity must work after the pilot phase

Many organizations have already demonstrated that their solution works on a small scale. The challenge begins when the same approach is to be rolled out globally. That's when the requirements change rapidly.

Units begin to move between markets. Costs become more difficult to predict. In addition, local exceptions creep in and create dependencies that later become expensive to manage.

The goal is therefore rarely the most advanced model. The goal is a model that is predictable, controllable, and easy to further develop.

SIM and eSIM are about functionality, not just form factor

Several discussions focused on how to reduce manual intervention as the number of devices grows. This is where the SIM strategy becomes central, but not only for technical reasons.

A well-thought-out strategy for SIM and eSIM can reduce manual tasks, simplify changes over time, and provide better control over policies, security, and access. In other words, the issue is as much about lifecycle management as it is about connectivity.

Enterprise requirements demand more than coverage

When IoT becomes business critical, it is not enough for the device to come online. The business also needs to know who is responsible for incidents, how integrations should work, and how costs can be controlled as volumes increase.

That's why many people were looking for solutions that better reflect the reality of operations: SLAs, incident management, security requirements, segmentation, and integrations with existing systems. If this sounds familiar, it might be a good idea to sort out who's responsible for what before you grow any further.

Common misconceptions about global IoT connectivity

Some misunderstandings arose more often than others. They are common, but can be dealt with early on.

• "Roaming solves everything": Roaming can work in certain scenarios, but with larger volumes and longer lifespans, more control is often needed in terms of policies, alerts, cost control, and responsibility.
• “eSIM is just a technical detail”: For many teams, eSIM is more of a way to reduce logistics, simplify changes, and gain better control over the entire lifecycle of the device.
• "We'll take care of that later": It is possible to start small, but decisions made in the pilot phase often affect how expensive, slow, or messy a future rollout will be.

That is precisely why it is wise to distinguish between what is quick to start and what is also sound to scale. Both are needed.

Checklist: from pilot to scale

Here is a simple maturity check for teams that want to take the next step without losing momentum.

• Map movement patterns: Determine whether units are stationary, move occasionally, or should be constantly mobile between markets.
• Assign responsibility early: Designate who owns policies, costs, security, and changes as the solution grows.
• Build for operation: Introduce monitoring, alarms, and clear troubleshooting procedures right from the start.
• Consider the lifecycle: Plan how you will update, change profiles or subscriptions, and manage devices that are already in the field.
• Avoid local special cases: Accept that markets differ, but don't build a new setup for each country if you can avoid it.

The point is simple: scale up what can be controlled, not just what can be launched quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

When do problems usually arise in global IoT?

They often become apparent when a successful pilot project is rolled out in more countries. This is when differences in responsibilities, policies, costs, and support become clearer.

Why is it not enough to focus solely on coverage?

Coverage is important, but operations require more. You also need to be able to handle incidents, security, cost control, integrations, and changes over time.

What is the most common mistake in the pilot phase?

Postponing issues of governance and lifecycle to a later date. This may seem expedient initially, but often leads to more work as volumes increase.

How do you know if the setup is ready to scale?

If you have clear ownership, an operational plan, control over changes, and a model that works in multiple markets without special solutions, then you have a stronger foundation to build on.

Taking the next step

The most important thing we take away from MWC26 is that the market demands fewer barriers and more predictability. Global IoT connectivity needs to work in everyday life, not just in a demo or during a limited pilot.

If you would like to discuss how your setup could be easier to manage, more secure to operate, and easier to scale globally, please contact Advisera for a brief, no-obligation consultation.