The Internet of Energy has much to gain from embedded SIM, says Beecham Research

New embedded SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) technology could play a major role in accelerating the development and adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) applications in the energy sector such as smart metering, demand response, energy data management and distributed resource management, says analyst firm Beecham Research.

This follows the recent publication of a new report on the Embedded SIM specification by the GSMA – the telecoms industry body that represents nearly 800 mobile operators.

“The traditional removable SIM card found in mobile handsets is not suited for the IoT market and particularly not for applications like smart metering,” said Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO at Beecham Research.

“Instead, the cellular IoT industry has moved towards a new approach with the eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card), which is integrated as an electronic component on the device’s circuit board as part of the manufacturing process. This improves reliability, flexibility, security and trust, while reducing cost and complexity and reducing commercial risk.”

The report, ‘Benefits of GSMA Embedded SIM Specification for the Utilities Sector’ published by the GSMA in association with ESMIG and SIMAlliance and written by Beecham Research, highlights the benefits of the GSMA Embedded SIM Specification and potential impact on the utilities sector. Five important utility use cases were investigated, identifying 14 significant benefits for utilities.

These are explored under four key headings – improving reliability and reducing site visits, improving security and trust, reducing cost and complexity, and reducing commercial risk and increasing commercial flexibility. For the first time, some of these benefits have also been quantified. The specification has already been introduced into the automotive and other sectors and over 20 mobile operators worldwide have launched commercial solutions.

Robin Duke-Woolley, CEO at Beecham Research

“Our study of the utility use cases included smart metering, demand response, energy data management and distributed energy resource management. These are all of great interest to utilities who face increasing pressures to balance electricity supply and demand,” said Duke-Woolley.

“As well as increased reliability to reduce site visits, the embedded SIM approach allows over-the-air management of operator subscription profiles without the need for a physical change of SIM, for example, solving the problem of operator lock-in. With the protection of critical infrastructure and data another major issue for energy companies, the GSMA eUICC spec also has proven security features and is tamper resistant.”

The IoT market in the utilities sector is set to grow at a fast pace over the next decade, with an ever-growing number and diversity of devices and applications requiring communications capability.

Furthermore, as national governments take a closer look at communications networks to support critical infrastructure it is likely that there will be new regulatory issues that require network updates. With remote access and management, the GSMA Embedded SIM Specification provides a system that caters for these new requirements at lowest cost.

“The energy market is undergoing a period of disruption, with significant transformations in the way electricity is generated, distributed, stored and marketed, combined with mounting pressures to monitor and automate more elements of the networks to reduce fault times and balance rapidly changing demand and supply,” Duke-Woolley added.

“While the IoT will play a major role in addressing these issues we found that awareness of mobile IoT technologies and their benefits was still generally low among utilities. This latest report provides a detailed insight into the benefits of embedded SIMs, which will increasingly play a major part in future development of the IoT.”

To download a copy of the report, visit the website or click here.

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_ OR @jcIoTnow

RECENT ARTICLES

Panasonic and Jasmy unveil Web3 Platform for IoT data control

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Panasonic has joined forces with Jasmy (JASMY) blockchain to introduce a Web3 platform that will facilitate the connection of personal data on the Internet of Things (IoT). The collaboration between the Japanese-based blockchain and Panasonic Advanced Technology was initiated in February, but the official announcement was made on March 26.

Read more

Driving connected personalised user experiences with Generative AI

Posted on: March 27, 2024

As the world continues to rapidly move towards digitalisation, customer expectations are also on the rise. Around the globe, telcos are grappling with meeting these expectations. As well as ensuring connectivity in a secure, seamless, and consistent manner 24/7, to compete and differentiate, operators now need to provide personalised experiences that are as unique as

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more