Counterpoint Technology Market Research’s latest IoT report finds that global cellular IoT module shipments rose 35% year-on-year and are expected to maintain strong momentum. Continued deployment of 4G, LTE-M (Cat-M1) and NB-IoT technologies is driving increased adoption and higher shipment volumes across a range of applications.
The cellular IoT market remains concentrated: five vendors—SIMCom Wireless, Sierra Wireless, Gemalto, Telit Communications, and u‑blox—account for roughly two-thirds of module unit shipments and as much as 85% of industry revenues.
SIMCom Wireless delivered the most significant expansion, with shipments growing 122% year-on-year and capturing approximately 23% of global cellular module volume. In the first half of 2017, SIMCom secured Verizon certification for a new low-power LTE Cat-M1 solution, strengthening its position in low-power wide-area (LPWA) IoT connectivity.
Sierra Wireless achieved 23% annual shipment growth and led the market by revenue, holding about 32% market share. Its AirPrime AR Series embedded modules and Legato software platform have been selected to provide Car-Net connectivity for Volkswagen vehicles beginning in 2018, highlighting Sierra’s focus on automotive and telematics opportunities.
Gemalto ranked second by cellular IoT module revenue with an 18% share and posted a modest 3% year-on-year increase. Its Cinterion LTE Cat M1 module family is designed to enable low-power, low-bandwidth LTE connectivity for machine-type communications (MTC), targeting multi-year battery life for IoT devices and reducing operational power needs.
Telit Communications reported 7% year-on-year growth in module shipments and placed third both by volume and by revenue. During the first half of 2017, Telit noted that its Cat-NB1 modules were undergoing trials on T‑Mobile’s NB‑IoT network, with an expected broader rollout by mid-2018, reflecting industry progress toward Narrowband IoT deployments.
u‑blox experienced only a 2% increase in shipment volume year-on-year and saw its share of cellular module units decline from 6.1% in the first half of 2016 to 4.6% in the first half of 2017, indicating stiffer competition among leading suppliers.
Overall, the market dynamics underscore a transition toward LPWA cellular technologies—LTE-M and NB‑IoT—alongside continued 4G LTE usage where higher throughput is required. Vendors that combine certified hardware, low-power modem designs and supportive software stacks are best positioned to capture growth as industries such as automotive, smart metering, asset tracking and industrial IoT accelerate deployments. As operators expand NB‑IoT and LTE‑M coverage and device makers optimize for multi-year battery life and cost-efficiency, Counterpoint expects global cellular IoT module shipments to continue their upward trajectory.