A connected medical cooler carrying life-saving vaccines loses signal at a border crossing. A logistics tracker cuts out the moment a truck enters a new country. Even a smart utility meter can stop working if it’s not paired with the right kind of network access.
These aren’t edge cases – they’re common problems for businesses trying to roll out IoT in Asia-Pacific. The region may be the world’s fastest-growing IoT market, projected to hit US$3.1 trillion in value by 2030 (a 30.1% CAGR), but it’s also one of the most fragmented when it comes to mobile connectivity, infrastructure, and regulation.
From dense 5G networks in places like Singapore to remote Indonesian islands still running on 2G, the diversity in mobile environments makes it difficult to deploy IoT at scale. Each country brings a different mix of network maturity, licensing rules, physical coverage, and SIM registration requirements.
A device might work flawlessly in one country and fail the moment it crosses a border.
“From a telecommunications perspective, Asia-Pacific is one of the most dynamic but fragmented regions in the world – and that’s where the challenge lies,” said Simon Trend, managing director & CRO – Americas, APAC and MENA at Wireless Logic, in an interview with IoT Tech News. “You have countries like Singapore and South Korea with ultra-dense 5G coverage, while others are still operating on patchy 2G or have limited infrastructure in rural or island regions. The uneven connectivity landscape makes it nearly impossible to deploy a one-size-fits-all IoT solution.”
Things break when devices move
For many businesses, problems only show up when a device crosses a national border. It’s not just about signal loss. Local rules around roaming, SIM provisioning, and data use can vary sharply.
“What often catches businesses off guard is how quickly things break down when devices cross borders,” said Trend. “The moment an IoT device leaves one jurisdiction and enters another, everything from network compatibility to SIM registration rules can change. If you haven’t accounted for that in your deployment model, what worked in Country A might completely fail in Country B. The aren’t edge cases – they’re common pitfalls.”
Connectivity must be flexible
To address these gaps, more companies are turning to multi-network strategies. Rather than locking into a single operator, they’re combining roaming SIMs, eSIMs, and, increasingly, satellite coverage where mobile networks don’t reach.
“The short answer is that they’re learning to layer their connectivity models,” Trend said. “Connectivity now needs to be dynamic. It must adapt to real-world conditions autonomously – whether that’s sudden loss of cellular coverage, local regulatory changes, or shifting traffic patterns.”
Wireless Logic works with businesses to build resilience into their network setups from the start. That includes provisioning SIMs that can intelligently access multiple networks, and offering remote management tools to monitor and adjust deployments as they move between countries. In especially tough geographies, where cellular coverage is thin or unreliable, they support hybrid setups that combine cellular and satellite links or use multiple generations of cellular tech to avoid outages.
“Connectivity should not be an afterthought,” Trend said. “It needs to be designed into the solution – just as carefully as the hardware or software.”
Why eSIMs are gaining ground
There’s growing interest in eSIMs and multi-network SIMs in the region – and for good reason. The technologies help companies solve several practical problems: they simplify product design and logistics, make it easier to stay compliant with local rules, and offer greater uptime by allowing devices to switch between networks.
“With eSIMs, companies can provision the right network profile remotely and automatically, without needing to physically swap out SIMs,” said Trend. “The is invaluable in a region like Asia-Pacific where regulations vary widely – some markets require local network use or prohibit permanent roaming.”
Multi-network SIMs offer redundancy. If one carrier goes down or coverage drops, the device can shift to a backup network. This is especially important for critical applications like in healthcare or logistics, where even short disruptions can cause real-world issues.
But the tech isn’t perfect. “The technologies aren’t silver bullets,” Trend said. “eSIM infrastructure still isn’t consistently supported in all mobile operators in the region, and some regulatory environments don’t yet fully support remote provisioning.”
Device-side support is another issue. Many manufacturers still don’t fully support eSIMs, which can limit deployment options in markets with strict rules. That’s why Trend recommends working with partners who understand both the technical and regulatory maturity of each market.
“We help businesses tailor a strategy that considers what’s actually possible in each country – not just on paper, but in practice,” he said.
Satellite fills the gaps, but doesn’t replace cellular
Satellite connectivity is seeing renewed interest, especially in sectors where devices operate in remote or cross-border zones. Think maritime shipping, agriculture, offshore energy, or long-haul logistics.
“Satellite-based IoT is fast becoming a critical complement, not a replacement, to cellular,” Trend said. “In offshore energy or maritime applications, satellite isn’t optional – it’s essential.”
He pointed out that satellite is no longer a luxury. New technologies and lower-cost hardware have made it more accessible, reducing the cost barrier for hybrid models that blend cellular and satellite.
“In sectors like automotive and heavy transport, vehicles may pass through remote or cross-border areas where cellular coverage is patchy or unreliable,” he said. “In such cases, satellite connectivity helps ensure data continuity for fleet management, safety systems, or asset monitoring.”
One region, many markets
A common mistake businesses make when entering Asia-Pacific is assuming that the entire region can be approached like a single market. That rarely works out.
“A common misstep is assuming that success in one market means scalability in the region,” said Trend. “Businesses often underestimate just how different regulatory, technical, and commercial environments are from country to country in Asia.”
Even something as basic as cellular frequency bands can differ, which can cause device failures if those variations weren’t factored in during design.
Trend’s advice: treat the region as a group of distinct markets: plan phased rollouts, design modular systems that can adjust as needed, and get compliance teams involved early to avoid last-minute surprises.
Compliance still slows things down
There’s been some progress on the regulatory front, but cross-border deployments are still tough to manage. Each country brings its own mix of rules on data, roaming, and SIM registration. Some are modernising their frameworks, but others are tightening restrictions.
“There’s been progress, but regulatory fragmentation is still a major bottleneck,” Trend said.
That’s where Trend sees real value in working with the right partner – not just for technology, but for navigating policy. “We help customers navigate these complexities from the outset, by offering localised provisioning, access to in-region network profiles, and solutions that are designed to align with country-specific regulations,” he said.
Without that kind of planning, companies risk delays, service outages, or worse – non-compliance that forces them to pull products from the market.
“Deployments need to be both technically sound and future-ready,” Trend said. “That’s the only way to reduce the risk of disruption down the line.”
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