1NCE announced that SoftBank Corp. has secured an equity stake in the company and signed an exclusive distribution deal covering the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. SoftBank Corp., a leading Japanese communication and information technology service provider, will sell 1NCE IoT services exclusively in 19 APAC markets. SoftBank 1NCE IoT connectivity

1NCE will open sales offices and technical operations in Singapore and Tokyo to expand its service capability to Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Flat-rate connectivity for IoT sensors SoftBank 1NCE IoT connectivity

Since 2017, 1NCE has disrupted the IoT marketplace by providing flat-rate connectivity for IoT sensors across the world for the lifetime of the device. Eighty percent of IoT projects require multinational deployments, but few mobile network operators have the capability to meet these demands. 1NCE, in partnership with operators, now delivers fast, secure, and reliable connectivity and software to more than 110 countries, with plans to expand its footprint to more than 140 by the end of 2022.

“1NCE is the only company that can deliver true cross-border, future-proof IoT connectivity without uncertainty – a perfect extension of SoftBank Corp.’s existing IoT portfolio,” said Daichi Nozaki, Vice President, Head of Global Business Division, Enterprise Business Unit at SoftBank Corp. “We’ve closely followed 1NCE’s strong U.S. launch earlier this year and expect the same explosive growth in the underserved APAC region.”

“With our existing Hong Kong office and with SoftBank Corp.’s support in establishing new offices in Singapore and Tokyo, we are supercharging the rollout of 1NCE’s lifetime, flat rate IoT in the region,” said Alexander P. Sator, CEO at 1NCE. “And with multiple mobile network operators now invested in 1NCE, we have validation that we’re on the right track to become the global leader in IoT connectivity and software.”

“Asia is by far the biggest market for cellular-connected IoT. According to the Transforma Insights TAM Forecast database, collectively the 19 countries covered by the cooperation accounted for 57 percent of cellular IoT annual shipments in 2021 and will represent more than half of the world’s cellular IoT connections for at least the next decade,” added Matt Hatton of Transforma Insights.