Communications
What actually matters when choosing a multi- network eSIM If ‘best signal selection’ is not a real differentiator, what should you be evaluating? Based on how network selection actually works, these are the factors that genuinely affect your connectivity experience: 1. How many networks does the eSIM give your device access to? This is the single most important factor. The more networks your device is permitted to connect to, the higher the probability that at least one of them has coverage in your specific location.
2. How quickly can you switch to the backup network when you need it? When your primary carrier has no coverage, you need to switch to your backup network fast.
3. What visibility and controls come with the connection? Once connected, what can you see and manage?
for the first time. It is not seamless. It takes time and every active data connection is interrupted during the process.
What this means for multi-network eSIMs Te “best signal” claim implies that a multi-network eSIM enables your device to continuously compare signal strength across multiple carrier networks and switch between them in real time. Tis does not happen, and for good reason: it would destroy the user experience rather than improve it. Imagine your phone disconnecting and reconnecting to a different carrier every few hundred metres - your call would drop, your video would buffer, your email would fail. Te real advantage of a multi-network eSIM is access and choice.
Once connected to a network that is working, your device stays on that network and benefits from seamless cell tower handover within it – exactly as designed. You only need to switch to a different network when the current one stops working. Te value is having the choice of networks to switch to when you need one, not constantly switching between them.
The standards body’s own confirmation Te most authoritative confirmation that signal strength is not part of standard network selection comes from 3GPP itself. In 2024, 3GPP introduced a new standard in Release 18 called
SENSE – Signal level Enhanced Network SElection. SENSE was created specifically to add signal strength awareness to the network selection process, because the existing process does not have it. “During the initial steps of selecting a network aſter switch-on or
recovery from the loss of coverage, and during all steps of periodic re-selection, the signal level of available cells is not considered; solely the cell selection criteria as broadcast by the PLMN and the priority of networks are considered.” Te very existence of SENSE proves the point: if the existing
standard already selected the “best signal,” there would be no need to create a new standard to add this capability. SENSE is new, designed primarily for stationary IoT devices, and not yet widely deployed in commercial smartphones or tablets.
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4. Is the provider honest about what their technology does? Technical credibility matters, particularly for enterprise procurement. A provider that makes claims unsupported by the governing standards is a provider you should evaluate carefully. The real value of a multi-network eSIM is network diversity and resilience, not a marketing claim about ‘intelligent’ signal selection.
Questions to ask any eSIM provider When evaluating multi-network eSIM solutions, ask any provider - including us - the following questions:
1. “How does the SIM know which network has the strongest signal without connecting to each one first?” If a provider claims ‘best signal selection’, this is the question that reveals whether the claim is technically supportable. A device cannot measure a network’s signal without first disconnecting from its current network and registering on the new one - a process that takes seconds to minutes and interrupts all data sessions. 2. “Does the SIM or the device control network selection?” The answer, per 3GPP standards, is always the device. The SIM defines which networks are permitted; the device’s modem runs the selection algorithm. Any provider claiming their SIM ‘controls’ selection is either using imprecise language or misrepresenting the technology. 3. “How many carrier networks does your eSIM provide access to in the countries we operate in?” This is the question that matters. Network diversity - the number of permitted networks available to your device - is the genuine differentiator between providers. More permitted networks means a higher probability of connectivity in any given location.
4. “What happens during a network switch? How long does it take? Are data sessions interrupted?” Any honest provider will confirm that switching between carrier networks requires a full disconnection and reconnection, and that data sessions are interrupted. If a provider suggests their switching is seamless or instantaneous, ask them to explain the technical mechanism.
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