The latest market monitoring insights released today by Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) – the industry association estimated to represent approximately 85% of the global eSIM hardware market – reveal that the eSIM ecosystem expanded significantly in the first half of 2026. Consumer and IoT adoption were both key drivers. TCA member data also shows that the traditional SIM market remains strong.
Consumer eSIM Adoption Surges as China Emerges as a Leading eSIM Market
TCA member data shows that in the first six months of 2026, consumer demand for eSIM technology accelerated sharply. In the H1 2026 period alone, consumer eSIM profile downloads worldwide equalled almost the same volume realised across the full year in 2025. The pace of global adoption was driven by a significant uplift in China. This follows leading domestic operators receiving regulatory approval to offer eSIM services in October 2025, the subsequent launch of major eSIM-enabled devices in the region, and the availability of eSIM travel plans for inbound and outbound travellers. Adoption also continued to increase throughout North America and Europe, alongside emerging markets such as the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America.
Though consumer eSIM activations are growing rapidly, well-publicised challenges facing near-term smartphone shipments may create headwinds for eSIM demand in the year ahead.
SGP.32 Momentum Continues
In H1 2026, there were clear signs that the market has embraced GSMA’s eSIM IoT Specification (SGP.32) to simplify the remote provisioning and management of IoT devices. Compared to full year 2025, TCA data reveals a fivefold increase globally in the number of eSIM Subscription Manager (SM) platforms that enable profile downloads in accordance with the specification. This supports increased use of eSIM technology across a range of IoT use-cases and signals advances in infrastructure investment and rollout.
Traditional SIM Market Remains Resilient
Continuing the trend seen throughout 2025, the traditional SIM market remains highly resilient. TCA members increased their delivered SIM volumes by 6% year-on-year in H1 2026 amid ongoing digitalisation and increasing demand for eSIM technology.
Guido Abate, Chair of the TCA Board, comments: “Our mid-year market snapshot highlights that the global connectivity landscape is undergoing a major transformation. eSIM adoption is accelerating across consumer and IoT use-cases, underpinned by the enduring strength and proven security of traditional SIM technology. As digitalisation drives the expansion of the SIM ecosystem, TCA works to ensure that IoT is enabled by sustainable SIM technology in alignment with market forces and regulatory developments. TCA members deliver interoperability, security and trust across the ecosystem.”
TCA is a trusted and exclusive source of global SIM and eSIM shipment, platform and transaction data. Its market monitoring process, gathered from members, is published quarterly for members and subscribers. By giving a clear indication of how the global SIM and eSIM industry is performing and transforming, it supports informed decision-making and strategic planning. A full breakdown of data collected through TCA’s market monitoring process is available via an annual subscription. For more information, please contact info@trustedconnectivityalliance.org.
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For further TCA media information, please contact Amy Dell – Tel: +44(0)113 3501922 or email: amy@iseepr.co.uk
About Trusted Connectivity Alliance
Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA) is a global industry association working to enable trust in a connected future.
The organisation evolved from the SIMalliance, reflecting the continued expansion of the global SIM industry and the need for broader collaboration. Its members are leading providers of secure connectivity solutions for consumer, IoT and M2M devices. This spans Tamper Resistant Element (TRE) technologies including SIM, eSIM, integrated SIM, embedded Secure Element (eSE) and integrated Secure Element (iSE), as well as hardware and software provisioning and other personalisation services.
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