Cellular IoT connectivity (LTE-M, NB-IoT, and 5G NR for IoT) provides wide-area connectivity for IoT devices without the infrastructure investment of private wireless networks — using licensed spectrum and carrier infrastructure to connect devices across geographies that would be impractical to cover with private networks.
Cellular IoT technologies (LTE-M and NB-IoT) are purpose-built for IoT use cases: low power consumption extending device battery life to years, deep indoor penetration for devices in basements and enclosures, and low per-device cost for the massive device counts that characterize IoT deployments. RLM advises on cellular IoT technology selection, carrier evaluation, and the SIM management architecture that scales from dozens to millions of connected devices.
A structured advisory process — from use case definition and platform evaluation to deployment architecture and ongoing optimization.
We assess your IoT connectivity requirements — device density, geographic distribution, data frequency, payload size, battery life requirements, and the coverage environment — identifying whether LTE-M, NB-IoT, 5G NR, or a combination best matches your use case.
We evaluate cellular IoT carriers — AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and specialized MVNO operators — against your geographic coverage requirements, technology support (LTE-M vs. NB-IoT), device count pricing tiers, and the roaming agreements needed for international IoT deployments.
We design the SIM management architecture for cellular IoT — physical SIM vs. eSIM/eUICC, multi-operator profile strategies for global deployments, and the SIM management platform that enables remote provisioning and carrier switching at scale.
We evaluate IoT connectivity management platforms — Emnify, Aeris, Eseye, Transatel — that provide multi-carrier SIM management, real-time usage visibility, automated policy enforcement, and the APIs that integrate carrier management into IoT application platforms.
The dimensions that determine whether an IoT deployment delivers lasting operational value — and the questions RLM helps you answer before any commitment.
LTE-M supports higher data rates, voice, and device mobility; NB-IoT offers lower power consumption and deeper indoor penetration for stationary, infrequent-data-transmission devices. Evaluate technology selection against your specific device characteristics.
No single carrier covers every location equally for IoT. Evaluate multi-carrier SIM strategies that provide coverage redundancy — particularly important for geographically distributed deployments where carrier coverage gaps could leave devices unconnected.
IoT data plans are often priced per-device or per-megabyte. Evaluate data consumption at your actual transmission frequency and payload size — small differences in transmission design can result in large differences in carrier cost at scale.
IoT devices that cross national borders face roaming agreements, local registration requirements, and in-country data sovereignty rules. Evaluate global SIM strategies and the in-country regulatory requirements for cellular IoT in your key markets.
Power Save Mode (PSM) and eDRX features in LTE-M and NB-IoT extend battery life dramatically, but implementation varies by device chipset and carrier network. Evaluate battery life performance on the specific carrier network with your device design.
"RLM helped us select and deploy an IoT platform across 28 facilities in under six months. Their vendor-neutral approach saved us from a costly mistake with our initial shortlist."
"We needed smart metering and energy management across our campus portfolio. RLM mapped the vendor landscape, ran the evaluation, and we're now hitting our ESG targets ahead of schedule."
Talk to an RLM advisor who specializes in enterprise IoT deployments. Independent guidance from platform selection through operational deployment.