The number of eSIMs installed in connected devices will increase from 1.2 billion in 2021 to 3.4 billion in 2025, according to Juniper Research.
eSIMs are modules that are embedded directly into devices; providing cellular connectivity and storing multiple network operator profiles.

Shipments of eSIM-based devices will reach almost two billion units by 2025 from 364 million in 2018, driven by smartphones and enterprise IoT devices, according to Counterpoint report in 2019.

Juniper Research said the consumer sector will account for 94 percent of global eSIM installations by 2025. Adoption of eSIM frameworks from consumer device vendors, such as Apple and Google, will accelerate the growth of eSIMs in consumer devices ahead of the industrial and public sectors.

Global eSIM deployments across all consumer verticals will increase by 170 percent over the next four years, with widespread adoption reliant on backing from network operators. Device manufacturers need to place pressure on mobile operators to support eSIM frameworks and accelerate market maturation.

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. The report said specialist vendors will emerge that provide robust eSIM form factors for industrial environments.

eSIM adoption in industrial sectors such as Oil and Gas, manufacturing and logistics will gain momentum. The development of rugged form factors will position eSIM 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 said: “Ensuring convenience for the end user must remain the top priority for eSIM management platform providers. They must provide a level of service comparable to that found with traditional SIM deployments.”