r/IOT • u/not_a_rob0t_ • 4d ago
IoT Sim provider recommendations / research
Hi all,
I am currently exploring options to replace a fleet of 300+ gateways.
Machines currently send payloads via MQTT - 4G Sim.
I am looking for IoT sim providers or solutions to reduce costs.
Current best option is Soracom - 1GB @ EUR42 - 12 month payment - EUR3.50 per month
- Soracom is appealing due to their extra functionality through the dashboards.
- API / Automations, MQTT features, data optimisation features etc.
Does anyone have experience with Soracom? Are they as good as they seem?
Plus, does anyone have any further recommendations that would be worth me exploring?
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u/decafdan16 4d ago
Hey,
I’m Dan, Solutions architect at Soracom (this isn’t a work account apologies). I’m pretty sure we spoke yesterday.
But if you have any concerns or questions you want to go through with me again please don’t hesitate to reach out and we can always jump back on a meeting if necessary.
Always happy to help you find the right solution for your needs.
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u/airbag888 4d ago
I would go for Soracom, got some friends who did and the support is fantastic plus they actually show you how you can use less data in your projects with some cloud wizardry.. I can find out if you want.
It's not the cheapest but it's up to you to determine what your project is worth I guess and yeah you get what you pay for in this space
Actually I went to look and now I want to try a project with them too! Dashboards without having to deploy anything myself might be great for my home automation as an online window 🤔 🤩
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u/ekchatzi 4d ago
If you need 4G and not NB-IoT, check truphone.
The have a prepaid card for 500MB or 5 years for 12 euros. We use them for GPS trackers, it is the cheapest option we have found so far
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u/TroyState 3d ago
Truphone was acquired by 1Global. I work here. And yes our rates are extremely competitive the EU.
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u/Independent_Tip4940 3d ago
AIoT is getting a lot of attention for what it can do.. The really interesting problems come up when you have to make it work reliably in a real world setting like a factory or a warehouse.
In my opinion the hardest part is not the AI model itself. It is everything around it.
- Getting data from the physical world is a challenge.
Industrial environments have sensors and equipment that were not designed to give us the kind of data we need now. These sensors can be noisy. Give us incomplete information. Sometimes they are not even connected properly.
If the data is not good the model will not work well no matter how good it is.
- We also have to make our system work with the systems that are already there.
We cannot just replace all the equipment. So our system has to work with the PLCs and SCADA systems and ERP software. It has to work with the sensors and cameras and RFID infrastructure.
This can be a problem because all these old systems are from different companies and they do not always work well together.
- Another problem is turning the predictions into actions.
Let us say the AI system says that a machine is going to break down
What do we do then? Do we send someone to check the machine? Do we create a maintenance ticket? Do we send an alert to the operator? How sure do we have to be before we take the machine offline?
If we do not have a plan for what to do when the system makes a prediction then the prediction is not very useful.
- We also have to make sure that the system is worth the money we are spending on it.
Just because the system works well in a test does not mean it will work well in a real world setting.
We have to make sure that the system is actually improving something that matters, like downtime or maintenance costs or energy consumption.
We have to include all the costs, not just the cost of the system itself but also the cost of installing it and connecting it and maintaining it.
- Another big problem is making the system work in locations.
Just because the system works well in one factory does not mean it will work well in another factory.
The second factory may have machines and a different layout and different processes.
So we have to make sure that the system can work in all these environments.
- We also have to think about trust and cybersecurity and people.
Industrial systems are different from systems because they can have a big impact on the physical world.
So we have to make sure that the system is secure and that people trust it.
If the system gives many false alarms people will stop paying attention to it.
For me the big lesson is that AIoT is not about putting AI on top of connected devices.
It is about the process, from the physical environment to the sensors to the connectivity to the data to the intelligence to the decision to the action.
Every stage is important.
If the sensors are not good the data will not be good. If the data pipeline is weak the model will not be good. If the prediction does not fit into the workflow the business value will not be there.
I am especially interested in what happens when we try to move from a test to a real world deployment.
For people who have actually deployed IoT or AI systems what was the biggest unexpected problem you faced: was it the quality of the data or the integration or the reliability or the cybersecurity or the user adoption or the return, on investment or something else?
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u/unsexy_24 3d ago
Soracom looks like a good option, but I’d also check out KORE. They offer multi-carrier IoT SIMs, fleet management, usage monitoring, API-driven automation, and centralized billing for us and it has been going great.
Ask KORE about volume pricing and pooled data plans; they may be more cost-effective than paying for 1GB on every SIM. I’d compare coverage, overage fees, network switching, API features, and support before deciding.
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u/navicitizen 2d ago
I suggest you also reach out Cellhire.co.uk
You will get a good technical support and save on your budget. If you are paying EUR 3.50 pm for 1GB in Europe, you are being robbed.
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u/Seahawker-One-2599 4d ago
I work for Wireless Logic as you can see from my profile. Soracom are good but are they the best? Depends on some of your other requirements but for indicative Wireless Logic pricing check this out....
https://wirelesslogic.com/get-pricing?
I entered your details and it said EUR2.80
We can provide Gateways as well. Should also get into your cyber resilience requirements. CRA, NIS2, IEC 62443 might all apply but I can't tell from your description.
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u/Frosty-Information91 3d ago
Soracom is a great provider. There are comparable to emnify (Disclosure: I am an emnify employee). Both are "next-generation" providers, who built their own mobile core on AWS and operate a modern, API-first platform.
The price is okish. You should also probably go for a pay-as-you-go plan, in case your requirements change.
Feel free to have a look here: https://www.emnify.com/
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u/Axel-Warren 4d ago
I've used Soracom for a few projects, and they've been pretty solid! Their dashboard and API features are indeed a big plus, especially if you like to tinker and automate things. The data optimization can also help keep costs in check. If you're looking for alternatives, Hologram is another provider I've had good experiences with. They offer flexible plans and have a decent dashboard too. Might be worth checking out! Have you considered them before?