# IoT connectivity — specifications

> Technical specifications: Better than any single operator; Utilities: smart meters; From operator lock to free choice; IoT connectivity in questions and…

Source: https://www.siltatel.net/iot/specs/ · Service page: https://www.siltatel.net/iot/

Devices stay online for years: one SIM, local and global operators, switching by **Virtuosim**.

- Continuity above any single MNO or MVNO
- Seamless switching between operators
- Local price and quality
- No operator lock-in — always the best deal


### Better than any single operator

*Virtuosim · values*

One SIM, local and global operators, and Virtuosim deciding which network each device uses. Devices stay online where any one MNO or MVNO alone would drop them.

Figure: FIG. 1 — Coverage of every operator combined on one SIM. Coverage of two local operators and a global operator along a route; one SIM managed by Virtuosim switches between them and stays connected all the way

1. Continuity: connection availability is higher than with any single MNO or MVNO, and switching between operators is seamless.
2. Local price and quality: in each country the device uses local operators first; global operators fill the gaps.
3. No operator lock-in: any offer can be accepted without extra technical or commercial work, so the deal with mobile operators always stays competitive.

### Utilities: smart meters

*Virtuosim · use case*

For utilities, connectivity management reduces communication costs by more than €6 per device per year and gives coverage quality equal to all available operators combined.

Figure: FIG. 2 — Virtuosim for utility meters: local and global operators. Virtuosim for utilities: 1 eSIM subscriptions are ordered from local and global operators, 2 the connectivity manager sets policies by coverage and price, 3 the SILTATEL platform manages the meters, 4 each electricity meter connects through the best available operator

1. Market volume: meters and similar devices number more than one third of each country's population.
2. Ordering: eSIM connectivity is ordered from local MNOs and global operators.
3. Policies: the connectivity manager arranges connectivity by network coverage, pricing and other policies.
4. Management: the SILTATEL platform manages every meter's subscriptions remotely.
5. Connectivity: each meter connects through the best available operator and switches when coverage or price change.

### From operator lock to free choice

*Virtuosim · eSIM for IoT*

SILTATEL provides flexible and fast access to mobile services — for devices with an integrated or embedded SIM, and for devices without eSIM.

Figure: FIG. 3 — What limits IoT today and what changes with SILTATEL. eSIM for IoT: operator lock, no marketplace and no switching on the left; interoperability, marketplace access, network assistant, devices without eSIM and no lock-in with SILTATEL on the right

1. Today device makers and IoT service providers depend on the main operator: they cannot choose another operator without its consent.
2. There is no marketplace for local connectivity, and finding it takes a lot of work.
3. There are no tools that switch operators automatically when roaming, coverage or price require it.
4. With SILTATEL: full interoperability — any offer is accepted without extra technical or commercial issues.
5. Marketplace: access to eSIM stores is in development.
6. Network assistant: manages quality and coverage automatically.
7. Devices without eSIM: full compatibility with eSIM technology and access to any mobile operator.

### IoT connectivity in questions and answers

*Questions · glossary*

**Q: Why not use one operator?**

No single MNO or MVNO covers every place a device goes. Combining local and global operators on one SIM keeps the device connected where one operator alone would not.

**Q: Is switching between operators seamless?**

Yes. Virtuosim switches the device to another operator by policy, without manual work.

**Q: Why local operators first?**

Local operators give local prices and local network quality; global operators cover the gaps.

**Q: What does no lock-in mean?**

The device is not tied to one operator: any offer can be accepted without extra technical or commercial issues, so the price stays competitive.

**Q: What if our devices have no eSIM?**

They get full compatibility with eSIM technology and access to any mobile operator.

**Q: Which IoT standards apply?**

Remote eSIM management for IoT follows GSMA SGP.31 and SGP.32 — see the eSIM sheets.

Glossary:
- **MNO / MVNO** — Mobile network operator / mobile virtual network operator.
- **Local operator** — An operator licensed in the country where the device works.
- **Global operator** — An operator or MVNO offering service in many countries.
- **Operator lock-in** — Dependence on one operator's consent to change networks.
- **eUICC** — Embedded SIM that can hold several operator profiles.
- **Network assistant** — SILTATEL tool that manages quality and coverage automatically.