The multi-trillion-dollar 'hidden' revolution. How better IoT connectivity could drive AI's success and unlock the world's economy
676 IoT decision surveyed for international IoT connectivity report
Businesses increasingly shifting from domestic tech deployment to internationally connected devices
Skills and expertise shortage the single largest obstacle to successful IoT deployments
The world could be on the verge of a connectivity revolution by 2030, according to new research from IoT firm Pelion, but the race to embrace is being held back by security, skills and scaling concerns.
676 IoT decision-makers in major businesses across the world and spanning multiple industry
groups, (255 in the UK), were questioned for The Connected Fleet 2026, produced by Pelion in
partnership with ABI Research.
The rapid development of AI, combined with an increasingly global marketplace for growth-
hungry companies and IoT solution providers means effective, consistent cellular connectivity
has become essential infrastructure for businesses in a multitude of industries – enabling
organisations to track assets across the world, monitor performance remotely, optimise supply
chains and respond faster to operational issues wherever and whenever they occur.
The findings reveal enterprise IoT deployments are rapidly becoming international, forcing
organisations to rethink how they manage connectivity, security and operations at scale. Among
the headline findings, respondents expect the proportion of internationally connected devices within their fleets to rise from 29 percent today to 49 percent by 2030, reflecting a significant
shift away from domestically focused IoT deployments.
Meanwhile, adoption of eSIM technology continues to accelerate. The report forecasts that
SGP.32-compliant profile downloads — the first eSIM standard designed specifically for IoT
deployments — will account for 45 percent of deployments by 2030, up from just 7.6 percent
today. Recent estimates from McKinsey 1 suggest up to $12.6 trillion in Annual Economic Value could
be unlocked by 2030 if current momentum behind IoT adoption continues. The figure represents
the equivalent of more than a tenth of global economic output, driven primarily be significant
improvements in productivity, strengthened supply chains, reduced downtimes and broader
operational efficiencies.
Despite the positive outlook, shortage of expertise emerged as the single largest obstacle to
successful deployments, with 60 percent of respondents reporting that a lack of internal or
external knowledge delays or blocks projects — ahead of budget constraints and connectivity
issues.
The study also found that operational complexity, rather than network coverage itself, is now the
largest ongoing challenge facing enterprise IoT programmes. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of
respondents identified managing deployments outside their core coverage area as their biggest
scaling issue, compared with 41 percent citing coverage limitations.
Security concerns are also intensifying as deployments mature. Almost one in four
organisations (24.6 percent) experienced an IoT-related security incident during the past year,
with 30 percent of those incidents resulting in losses exceeding $100,000 and 8 percent
exceeding $1 million.
The research also points to major changes in how organisations plan to buy and manage
cellular connectivity in future. More than three quarters (77 percent) of respondents not currently
using a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) said they would consider one for their next
deployment, citing flexibility, simplified management and access to multiple networks as key
drivers.
Dave Weidner, CEO of Pelion, said:
“Connectivity itself is no longer the difficult part of enterprise IoT. The challenge comes when
enterprise customers take their fleets internationally, grow in scale, and operate across multiple
networks, jurisdictions and regulatory environments. Organisations are increasingly looking for
partners that can simplify that operational complexity rather than add to it.”
“The potential for an IoT revolution is significant, but only if we can overcome some of the
critical infrastructure, security and expertise barriers holding deployment back. If we can
overcome some of the short-term challenges, the future of enterprise IoT connectivity will be
increasingly borderless, managed and eSIM-enabled, with buyers placing greater emphasis on security architecture, advisory services and unified management platforms when selecting
connectivity providers.”
References
through-2030-where-and-how-to-capture-it
About Pelion
Pelion is Dear Green Media PR and media client and an IoT MVNO powered by decades of industry experience. Founded in Scotland as one of the first IoT-focused MVNOs as Stream Technologies in 2000, Pelion now boasts more than 1,000 enterprise clients across a wide range of industries.
With a proven track record of being first to market with technologies such as LPWAN, eSIM and
5G, Pelion has always been at the heart of IoT connectivity providing customers with what they
need most.
Media Contact
Brian O’Neill
Director
Dear Green Media
T: 07903487476
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