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FEATURE


INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) IoT connecTIvITy: MakIng


IoT connectivity is essential in a wide range of industries. In this Q&A with Cédric Jarkovsky, director, Product Development & IoT Business at Transatel, Rachael Morling finds out about the challenges of IoT


adoption, the importance of IoT connectivity for OEMs, the GSMA SGP.31/.32 standard and how it impacts the IoT ecosystem, and much more…


WhaT does TransaTel do? Transatel is a global cellular connectivity solutions provider and a leading Mobile Virtual Network Operators enabler. With over 25 years of experience, Transatel’s 4G/5G solutions provide enterprises with secure IoT connectivity in more than 200 countries and territories, through a fully owned core infrastructure and regional Points of Presence. Our (e)SIM technology securely connects


millions of vehicles, industrial machines and consumer devices to both public and private cellular networks globally. Our clientele includes renowned industry leaders such as Airbus, BMW Group, Worldline, Cisco and Toyota. In addition, our Ubigi eSIM solution offers


global cellular data connectivity for international travellers and remote workforces.


WhaT kinds of indusTries does TransaTel Work WiTh? We work with enterprises across a range of industries, including automotive, aviation, manufacturing, retail, energy and utilities, defence and public welfare, and logistics. Our global cellular connectivity platform helps our clients and partners keep devices online, manage them at scale, and operate reliably across borders and in challenging environments. We support the automotive industry with


connected vehicles, telematics, infotainment and over-the-air updates, helping improve both the driving experience and fleet performance. In aviation, we enable connectivity for personnel and passengers, as well as predictive maintenance use cases, all through one unified platform. For industrial IoT, we securely connect machines, sensors and assets to support remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and greater operational efficiency. Our platform also supports retail use cases


such as connected payment devices, kiosks, digital signage, and store sensors, helping stores run smoothly and deliver better customer experiences. In energy and utilities, we enable smart metering, remote infrastructure monitoring, and field operations, improving visibility and responsiveness. For defence and public welfare, we provide secure, mission-critical connectivity for surveillance, emergency response, inspection, and field communications. In logistics, we help customers track fleets, shipments, and mobile assets in real time, improving supply chain visibility and coordination. Overall, we deliver seamless global IoT


connectivity that helps our partners improve efficiency, visibility and service quality.


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Why is ioT connecTiviTy so imporTanT for oems in These indusTries? IoT connectivity is what makes modern hardware ‘alive’. For most OEMs today, it’s not just about building the device and shipping it, it’s about what happens after that. Connectivity lets those products keep evolving, improving, and generating value long after they leave the factory. Take something as simple as a sensor or a


machine controller. Once it’s connected, you get real-time visibility into how it’s performing, where it’s deployed, and what condition it’s in. That opens the door to a lot of practical use cases like predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics, and over-the-air updates. Instead of sending technicians to the field, you can push new firmware, fix issues, or improve performance remotely. That’s a huge cost and efficiency win for both the manufacturer and the customer. From a bigger picture, connectivity also


means you can manage entire fleets of devices under one unified platform. You can provision, monitor, patch, and eventually decommission them, all in a consistent way. It removes a lot of operational friction and makes scaling across regions or product lines much easier. Another big point is flexibility. Using


technologies like eSIM and the newer SGP.32 architecture, OEMs can actually change network operators or adapt to new regulations without having to redesign hardware. That’s critical for long-life devices that might be operating for ten or 15 years, especially when markets, roaming rules, or partnerships keep changing. And then, of course, there’s the data.


Connectivity turns every deployed product into a feedback channel. OEMs can analyse how their devices are used, learn from real deployments, and feed that insight straight back into new designs or even new business models, like performance-based services. So, in short, IoT connectivity is what keeps a


product relevant. It gives manufacturers the ability to maintain, secure and evolve their products continuously instead of treating them as ‘build once and forget’. It’s how they keep control of the lifecycle, protect long-term value, and build better customer experiences over time.


WhaT are The challenges faced When iT comes To ioT adopTion? When I think about the biggest challenges in IoT adoption, the first thing that comes to mind is that connected devices have moved far beyond the traditional security perimeter. We are no longer talking about a few laptops on an office network.


We are talking about sensors, vehicles, routers, and industrial assets operating across countries, carriers, and environments, often with no human oversight. That creates a very real security and management challenge. Another issue is that the old way of protecting


these devices is not really built for the scale and complexity of IoT. A lot of enterprises still rely on VPNs, APNs, or custom tunnels, but those models were designed for office networks, not for billions of distributed devices. They often create too much trust in the network, too much operational complexity, and not enough visibility.


“For most OEMs today, it’s not just about


building the device and shipping it, it’s about what


happens after that.


Connectivity lets those products keep


evolving, improving,


and generating value long after they leave the factory”


That is exactly why something like Transatel’s


Cellular SASE is interesting. It brings connectivity and Zero Trust security together in one architecture, and it does that without requiring agents or hardware changes on the device. In practice, that means the SIM itself becomes part of the security enforcement model. For enterprises, that is powerful because it gives them a way to secure each cellular connection consistently, while still keeping the deployment simple and scalable. What I also like about this approach is that


it fits the reality of IoT and OT environments. These devices often run for years, across different geographies, and they are not easy to touch once deployed. So the ability to apply security at the network layer, through the connectivity layer, is a much more practical


www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


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