In the world of enterprise IoT, scale is no longer a distant goal: we’re increasingly seeing cellular IoT roll out at large scale, and recent research by an Informa publication underscores this trend.

Omdia, an Informa TechTarget company, forecast that cellular IoT connections will surge to 5.9 billion by 2035. For enterprises, this nearly 6-billion-device future marks a fundamental shift in how businesses connect, manage, and future-proof their global assets. Legacy 2G and 3G networks are finishing their global sunsets, making room for a new generation of connectivity designed to handle the diverse needs of modern industry.

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The Three Drivers of Massive Growth

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According to Omdia’s findings, the expansion over the next decade is fueled by three pivotal technologies that cater to different enterprise requirements. One of the most significant developments is the rise of 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability). 

This technology serves as a critical middle ground, offering more than basic low-power connectivity without the extreme costs or power requirements of high-end 5G. For many enterprises, RedCap is the essential bridge to the future, as 4G networks are expected to begin their own phase-out beyond 2030 for global IoT connectivity.

Parallel to this, the market is seeing a surge in 5G Massive IoT and 4G LTE Cat-1bis. While Massive IoT supports high-density deployments like smart meters and urban sensors, Cat-1bis provides a reliable and cost-effective migration path for devices that previously relied on 2G or 3G hardware. Together, these technologies ensure that as fleets grow into the millions, they remain both manageable and economically viable.

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The Ascent of the Software-Defined Vehicle

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Perhaps the most striking trend identified by Omdia is the rapid growth of the automotive sector. The report predicts that by 2035, the automotive segment will nearly double, rising from 500 million to approximately 1.2 billion connections.

This shift means that within a decade, vehicles will represent one in every five cellular IoT connections on the planet. This evolution is driven by the rise of "software-defined vehicles" that require persistent connectivity for everything from real-time navigation and infotainment to critical firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates and regulatory compliance. As cars become essentially high-speed data centers on wheels, the demand for network resilience and global M2M SIM cards becomes a matter of operational necessity.

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Navigating Complexity in a Global Market

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As the landscape becomes more technically fragmented, the challenge for enterprises shifts from "how do we connect?" to "how do we stay connected?" The Omdia report highlights that enterprises will soon face a wider and wider selection of connectivity technologies, which can lead to increased integration complexity and vendor lock-in.

Managing a global fleet in 2035 will require more than just a standard SIM card; it will require an architecture that can adapt to changing network availability across borders. This is particularly true for mission-critical roles in aviation, healthcare, and logistics, where downtime is essentially a failure of service.

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How GigSky Fits into the IoT Lifecycle

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The move toward 5.9 billion connections represents a significant opportunity for innovation, but it also introduces new layers of logistical and technical management. GigSky operates as a partner in this lifecycle, providing the infrastructure and tools needed to navigate these shifts without the typical connectivity headaches.

Our approach is built around network resilience and flexibility. By providing access to multiple Tier-1 networks per country through a single, technology-agnostic SIM, we help enterprises avoid the risks of network sunsets and coverage gaps. Whether a device is moving across national borders or transitioning between networks, our core network is designed to maintain a consistent connection without requiring physical hardware changes or complex multi-carrier negotiations.

What’s more, GEM Control Centre is designed to simplify the orchestration of these massive fleets. By offering a "single pane of glass" for usage monitoring and device provisioning, we help enterprises maintain total oversight as they scale from local pilots to global rollouts. 

In an era defined by billions of connections, GigSky focuses on ensuring each new connection is as dependable and simple to manage as the first.

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