Made for IoT Summit 2025: key takeaways from the show

Successful IoT deployment requires careful network selection, hardware planning, and ongoing connectivity management. Businesses must assess network coverage, roaming fees and SIM options while fostering strong relationships with IoT MVNOs or operators. Contingency plans are crucial, and so is access to reliable and regularly updated market intelligence as for IoT networks operation, network shutdown plans and hardware availability. This piece explores key factors shaping the availability of cellular IoT services and helps IoT adopters (both end-user industries and IoT device makers) to navigate the various options and make sense of latest market developments, such as AT&T’s NB-IoT exit and U-blox’s discontinuation of its cellular modules business.

Digital transformation of vertical sectors is accelerating, with IoT being an important driver and enabler. GSMA Intelligence surveyed nearly 4,200 enterprises across 21 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for IoT and eSIM.

Updated in March 2026, this report presents the latest forecasts and views on the evolution of the IoT market, the key changes between the new and previous forecasts, and forecasts up to 2035. The global IoT market will reach 40.8 billion connections by 2030 and 52.9 billion by 2035. Enterprise applications are the primary growth driver, expanding from 65% of total connections in 2030 to 69% by 2035, led by smart buildings, manufacturing, and utilities.