When deploying IoT or M2M devices globally, connectivity is everything. Whether you’re managing smart meters in rural towns, connected cars crossing borders, or medical wearables transmitting data in real time, a reliable connection can mean the difference between efficiency and failure.
One critical factor that often gets overlooked is how your IoT SIM card chooses the networks it connects to. This is where the debate between steering vs. no-steering SIMs becomes crucial. In this blog, we’ll explain the difference, why it matters for IoT, and why choosing the right SIM can impact costs, reliability, and security.
What is a Steering SIM Card?
A steering SIM card is programmed by a mobile network operator (MNO) or provider to prioritize certain partner networks over others.
Here’s how it works:
- The SIM “steers” your device to connect to a preferred network, even if there’s another local network available with stronger signal quality.
- This steering usually happens because the provider has commercial agreements with certain carriers, often resulting in cheaper wholesale rates for them.
- For example, if your IoT device is in France, the SIM may force it onto Carrier A, even though Carrier B or C might offer faster speeds or stronger coverage.
The drawback? Performance can suffer. Devices may stay on a weak signal longer, experience dropped connections, or have higher latency, all in the name of cost savings for the provider.
What is a No-Steering SIM Card?
A no-steering SIM card removes that prioritization. Instead of being locked into pre-defined “preferred” carriers, the SIM is free to connect to the strongest available network in any given location.
Here’s what that means for IoT deployments:
- Devices always connect to the best-quality signal in real time.
- Network selection is based on coverage and performance, not commercial agreements.
- If one carrier’s network goes down or becomes congested, the device can switch to another carrier automatically.
The result? Greater resilience, better uptime, and stronger connectivity — which is exactly what IoT projects need to succeed at scale.
Why Steering Matters in IoT
At first glance, it might seem like a small detail. After all, your device is online — isn’t that enough? But in practice, steering vs. no-steering can have huge implications for IoT and M2M deployments.
1. Reliability and Uptime
IoT devices often operate in mission-critical environments. Think of remote health monitoring, emergency sensors, or industrial equipment diagnostics. If a device stays stuck on a weak network because of steering rules, data transmission slows or stops — and reliability plummets.
2. Latency and Speed
Applications like connected cars, video surveillance, or autonomous machinery require low-latency connections. A steering SIM can compromise performance if it forces a device to use a subpar network. A no-steering SIM ensures the device always gets the fastest path available.
3. Global Deployments
IoT projects rarely stay in one country. Devices move across borders — delivery trucks, ships, agricultural sensors, wearables — and they need seamless roaming. With a no-steering SIM, devices adjust naturally to the best available local carrier, avoiding gaps in service.
4. Redundancy
A no-steering SIM effectively builds redundancy into your connectivity. If one network fails, another takes over. With steering, redundancy is limited — devices may be forced to stick with a weaker carrier, exposing your project to downtime risks.
Why Some Providers Still Push Steering SIMs
If no-steering SIMs are so clearly better for performance, why do steering SIMs exist at all?
The answer: cost savings for providers.
Mobile network operators often negotiate preferential roaming agreements with international partners. By steering your devices toward those carriers, they pay less for wholesale traffic. While the provider saves money, the end-user (you) may experience weaker connectivity.
For consumer roaming (e.g., tourists using their phone abroad for a week), steering SIMs may be acceptable. But for IoT deployments with always-on, mission-critical devices, the tradeoff is usually unacceptable.
The OneSimCard Approach: No-Steering for IoT
At OneSimCard, we believe IoT devices deserve the best possible connectivity, regardless of provider costs. That’s why our IoT SIM cards are no-steering by design.
Benefits for Enterprises and IoT Deployments:
- Multi-Network Access: Devices connect to 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks across 200+ countries.
- Automatic Best Signal Selection: SIMs choose the strongest network available, not the cheapest one for the carrier.
- Redundancy and Failover: If one network is congested or down, your device instantly switches to another.
- Scalable Management: Our SIM management portal lets you monitor, control, and optimize data use across thousands of devices.
With OneSimCard IoT, your devices are never locked into a single carrier. They’re empowered to choose the network that delivers the performance your project requires.
Real-World Examples
Connected Cars
Automakers rely on telematics data for navigation, diagnostics, and safety features. If vehicles get stuck on a weak carrier because of steering rules, critical data (like crash alerts or engine warnings) could be delayed. No-steering SIMs ensure vehicles always connect to the best available network — no matter what road they’re on.
Healthcare Devices
Remote patient monitoring devices send vital signs like heart rate, glucose levels, or oxygen saturation in real time. A steering SIM could cause delays or dropped data if the “preferred” network has poor coverage inside a hospital or rural area. A no-steering SIM keeps healthcare providers connected without interruption.
Smart Agriculture
Farms are often located in rural areas where coverage is patchy. A steering SIM may stick to a poor signal from one carrier. A no-steering SIM can jump between networks to maintain connectivity, ensuring sensors deliver accurate soil, weather, and irrigation data.
Steering vs. No-Steering: Quick Comparison
Final Thoughts
When it comes to IoT deployments, not all SIM cards are created equal. Steering SIMs may save providers money, but they compromise the very thing IoT projects rely on most: reliable, always-on connectivity.
No-steering SIMs, like those offered by OneSimCard IoT, ensure your devices connect to the strongest available network anywhere in the world. For businesses, this means higher uptime, faster data, and smoother scaling — without the hidden risks of steering.
In the world of IoT, connectivity is mission-critical. Don’t let your devices get stuck steering in the wrong direction.
OneSimCard IoT: No steering. No downtime. Just reliable global connectivity.