Consumer eSIM: device and MNO service trackers, and 2030 adoption forecast, Q1 2026

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer devices, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers three major developments: accelerating innovation for smart glasses as leading companies try to establish it as the next major consumer platform; smartphone innovation becoming more diverse, from practical to experimental concepts; and chipmakers increasingly designing on-device agentic AI capabilities.

The 2026 Fifa World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US is set to capture the attention of football fans around the world, with operators playing a significant role in its success. The event in many ways represents a microcosm of operator strategy: combining infrastructure performance, customer experience and service innovation to meet immediate demand and strengthen long-term competitive positioning.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on the MVNO segment, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: renewed momentum behind brand-affinity MVNOs, the use of eSIM for consumer offerings, the rise of converged connectivity propositions from fixed broadband providers, and adoption of AI across the MVNO segment.