Access Point Name (APN). The gateway configuration that tells a cellular device which network entry point to use for data. Most IoT deployments use a standard APN; a private APN routes an estate’s traffic through a dedicated, isolated gateway, typically for security or fixed addressing reasons.
Attach / network attachment. The process by which a device registers with a mobile network before it can pass traffic. Attachment behaviour, how quickly and to which network a SIM attaches, is one of the most practically important differences between SIM types.
Bootstrap profile. The initial operator profile loaded on an eUICC SIM, used to establish first connectivity so that an operational profile can be downloaded remotely.
Carrier / operator. Used interchangeably in practice for a company that runs a mobile network. See MNO.
Cat-M1. See LTE-M, of which Cat-M1 is the device category designation.
CDR (Call Detail Record). The usage record a network generates for a connection session. In IoT platforms, real-time CDR access is what allows per-SIM consumption to be monitored as it happens rather than at invoice time.
Cellular IoT. The umbrella term for connecting devices over mobile networks, spanning 4G LTE, 5G and the low-power technologies LTE-M and NB-IoT.
Connectivity Management Platform (CMP). The software layer through which an IoT estate’s SIMs are provisioned, monitored and controlled. OV ONE is OV’s connectivity management platform, built in-house, with every feature exposed through APIs.
Coverage. The geographic and technological reach of a connectivity service. Meaningful coverage statements specify both geography and radio technology, since a country covered for 4G is not automatically covered for LTE-M or NB-IoT. OV provides coverage across 180+ countries and 600+ networks.
Data pooling. A commercial model in which a data allowance is shared across many SIMs rather than allocated per SIM, so heavy and light devices offset each other. Particularly suited to estates with variable per-device consumption.
Dormant SIM. A SIM that is provisioned but passing no traffic. Dormancy terms, what an inactive SIM costs and whether a provider suspends it, are a frequent source of surprise in IoT contracts.
eDRX (extended Discontinuous Reception). A power-saving mechanism that lets a device sleep for extended periods while remaining registered on the network, waking on a negotiated schedule to listen for traffic. One of the key tools for multi-year battery life.
eIM (eSIM IoT Remote Manager). The management entity defined in the SGP.32 standard that orchestrates remote SIM provisioning for IoT devices, designed for fleets of devices without user interfaces.
Embedded SIM. See eSIM.
eSIM. A SIM in embedded form, soldered to the device board rather than inserted as a removable card, and (in common usage) the remote provisioning capability that lets its operator profile be changed over the air. The form factor and the capability are related but distinct; the capability comes from eUICC.
eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card). The software architecture that allows a SIM, embedded or removable, to hold and switch between multiple operator profiles remotely. eUICC is what makes “changing networks without changing the SIM” possible.
Failover. The automatic switch to a backup connectivity path when a primary path fails, for example a site’s fixed broadband failing over to a 4G connection.
Fixed IP / static IP. An IP address permanently assigned to a SIM or device, required when systems need to reach the device inbound at a known address. Usually delivered alongside a private APN in IoT deployments.
Form factor. The physical format of a SIM: 2FF (mini), 3FF (micro), 4FF (nano), MFF2 (embedded/soldered), and emerging integrated formats. Form factor is independent of capability; eUICC functionality can exist in removable and embedded formats alike.
Geofencing. Alerting or policy triggered by a device’s location crossing defined boundaries, used in IoT both for asset security and for connectivity policy.
IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). The unique identifier of a cellular device (as distinct from the SIM inside it). IMEI lock binds a SIM to a specific device so it cannot be removed and used elsewhere, a common IoT security control.
IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity). The identity a SIM presents to networks. Each IMSI is associated with an operator; which IMSI a SIM holds determines which networks treat it as local or roaming. See Multi-IMSI.
IoT MNO. A mobile network operator whose proposition is built for IoT specifically. OV operates as a true IoT MNO, with direct integration into its own MNO core network, as distinct from providers that resell access at a remove from the network. See our guide on IoT MNO vs MVNO
IoT SIM. A SIM card designed and commercially packaged for devices rather than people: hardened form factor options, machine-scale data plans, and lifecycle management through a platform. Distinct from a consumer SIM mainly in durability, commercial model and manageability.
Latency. The time taken for data to travel between device and destination. Most IoT applications tolerate latency comfortably; the exceptions (payments, safety signalling, control loops) should say so explicitly in their connectivity requirements.
LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network). The category of network technologies optimised for small data volumes and long battery life over wide areas. In cellular, the LPWAN technologies are LTE-M and NB-IoT.
LTE-M. A cellular low-power technology offering a balance of low energy consumption, mobility support and moderate bandwidth, well suited to devices that move or need firmware updates over the air. See our complete guide to LTE-M for deployment depth.
MNO (Mobile Network Operator). A company that owns and operates mobile network infrastructure, including spectrum and core network. Contrast with MVNO.
Multi-IMSI. SIM technology that holds multiple network identities on one SIM, allowing a device to present different operator identities depending on location and conditions. The practical effect is access to multiple networks’ footprints through one SIM. OV SIMs use Multi-IMSI technology as standard.
Multi-network SIM. A SIM able to use more than one mobile network rather than being locked to a single operator’s footprint, through Multi-IMSI, roaming agreements or both. The mechanism matters: see non-steered.
MVNE (Mobile Virtual Network Enabler). A platform business providing the operational machinery (provisioning, billing, SIM management) that lets MVNOs operate without building those systems themselves.
MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). A company that sells mobile connectivity under its own brand using wholesale access to other operators’ networks. See our explainer on the difference between an IoT MNO and an MVNO.
NB-IoT (Narrowband IoT). The cellular low-power technology optimised for very small, infrequent data from stationary devices, with strong building penetration and minimal energy use, at the cost of mobility support and bandwidth.
Non-steered SIM. A SIM whose network selection is not forced toward a preferred operator list, leaving the device free to attach to the strongest available network. OV SIMs use non-steered network selection, which improves real-world resilience as conditions change.
Permanent roaming. The practice of a device operating indefinitely on networks where its SIM is a roaming visitor. Several countries restrict it, which is why multi-country deployments need a sourcing strategy rather than an assumption. See our guide to roaming versus local connectivity.
PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network). Formally, a mobile network; practically encountered in “preferred PLMN lists”, the steering lists that conventional roaming SIMs follow when choosing networks.
Pooled data. See data pooling.
Private APN. See Access Point Name.
Profile (SIM profile). The operator credentials and configuration held on a SIM. On eUICC SIMs, profiles can be downloaded, enabled and switched remotely.
PSM (Power Saving Mode). A mechanism allowing a device to sleep deeply between transmissions while remaining registered, complementing eDRX in the battery-life toolkit.
Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP). The standardised capability to deliver and manage SIM profiles over the air, governed for IoT by the SGP.32 specification.
Roaming. A device using a network other than its SIM’s home network. The default mechanism by which single-IMSI SIMs achieve international coverage, with cost and regulatory implications that deserve explicit design attention.
SGP.02 / SGP.31 / SGP.32. The GSMA specifications governing remote SIM provisioning. SGP.02 is the legacy machine-oriented standard; SGP.32 is its successor designed for IoT at scale, defining the eIM architecture. See our guide to SGP.32 versus SGP.02.
Single pane of glass. Shorthand for managing an entire estate through one interface. OV ONE provides single pane of glass control for SIM and connectivity operations.
Steering. The practice of directing a roaming SIM toward particular partner networks via preference lists. Contrast with non-steered behaviour.
Suspend / suspended SIM. A lifecycle state in which a SIM is temporarily barred from service without being terminated, used for stock management, non-payment and device retirement workflows.
UICC. The formal name for the smart card platform a SIM runs on. eUICC is its embedded, multi-profile evolution.
Wholesale connectivity. Connectivity bought for resale or integration into a wider proposition, the commercial layer beneath MVNOs, resellers and white-label services.