A new study by Juniper Research, the foremost expert in roaming, has found that there will be over 600 million roaming IoT connections by 2028; rising from 145 million in 2023. This will necessitate the implementation of new roaming standards to detect, and monetize IoT roaming. IoT roaming vendors

To capitalise on this substantial growth in connections, the report identified BCE (Billing & Charging Evolution) as a critical technology that will enable operators to identify new roaming connections. In turn, this will allow operators to fully maximise inbound roaming revenue.

While the ever-increasing number of IoT devices will naturally drive growth in the number of IoT roaming connections, Juniper Research also anticipates that there will be three further key driving factors for this growth.

• Firstly, dedicated IoT networks, such as LTE-M and NB-IoT, have increasingly been launched, allowing for expanded IoT roaming traffic over the forecast period.
• Secondly, the development of IoT will continue to expand the number of use cases, leading to growing demand for IoT roaming.
• Thirdly, the growing popularity of permanently roaming devices and shifting operator attitudes towards them will further contribute to the increasing number of IoT roaming devices.

In order to monetise this growth in the number of IoT roaming devices, operators must scale up the capacity of their networks by launching new networks and implementing solutions such as edge computing, which reduces the complexity of managing a network and allows different network slices to be optimised for different use cases, improving efficiency. Moreover, operators must also establish the necessary tools and solutions for identifying new roaming IoT connections and monitoring these connections after they are identified. This will be essential in allowing operators to efficiently charge these new connections and enable further strategic planning around future network investments.

The research suite included the latest edition of Juniper Research’s Competitor Leaderboard covering the IoT roaming market. It analyzed the comprehensiveness of offerings across 18 key IoT roaming vendors, as well as the innovation and future prospects of vendors.

The top 5 vendors are ranked as follows: IoT roaming vendors

1. Vodafone Roaming Services
2. Telefónica
3. Tata Communications
4. TNS
5. BICS

Source: Juniper Research

Vodafone Roaming Services Retains Leading Position in the Market

Vodafone Roaming Services’ continued expansion of its global IoT roaming network results in the company retaining its market-leading position. Its comprehensive portfolio of IoT management solutions and significant coverage places Vodafone Roaming Services as the leading IoT vendor to enable operators to maximise future inbound roaming revenue.

Telefónica – The Big Mover in 2023

Additionally, Telefónica has risen six places in our ranking. Crucial in driving Telefónica’s progress in the IoT roaming market over the last year has been its innovation with solutions that simplify the roaming monetisation process. For example, the company has continued to innovate with BCE, and services that assist operators in managing different roaming regulations.

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