UK-based IoT connectivity provider Eseye has struck a deal with Orange’s wholesale business in France to resolve permanent roaming issues for IoT customers in certain territories. The arrangement enables Eseye to piggyback on Orange’s roaming footprint with 700-odd network operators in 220-odd destinations. It covers sundry 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and cellular IoT based network technologies.
Apart from providing deeper technical localisation agreements, the deal allows Eseye to navigate local restrictions on permanent IoT roaming in North America, Brazil, and Turkey, notably. Restrictions on permanent roaming prevent devices that are not in their ‘home’ territories to remain connected after a certain period, typically three months; the rules are geared originally towards regular smartphone roaming, but have disrupted the global IoT market.
Eseye claims to have “successfully solved permanent roaming issues for enterprises” in difficult jurisdictions such as North America and Brazil previously by investing in bespoke engineering solutions. “We pioneered the localisation trend,” it said in a statement. “We know how much engineering investment and work is involved in achieving full technical localisation and we are dedicated to ensuring we meet our customers’ evolving IoT deployment needs.”
Adam Hayes, chief operating officer at Eseye, said: “Sponsored roaming is a highly effective way of delivering IoT services but unfortunately it doesn’t solve all use cases. Adding the Orange Wholesale offering with Eseye’s unique technical localisation capabilities means we are able to offer wide-ranging access to local networks and roaming partners. Our vision is to provide the most comprehensive global IoT connectivity solutions to the market.”
Yannick Decaux, a senior vice president at Orange Wholesale France, said: “Eseye is… the perfect partner for us to engage with via our global connectivity agreement. We have been impressed by [its] commitment to solving some of the most challenging IoT problems and the company’s desire to make global IoT connectivity available to all enterprises; a vision that we also uphold. I am looking forward to working closely with the team.”
