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Which Countries Restrict Long-Term Roaming for IoT Devices? B2B Enterprise Overseas Communication Compliance Guide
Created on 11.17
In the process of global IoT deployment, long-term roaming services are the core support for enterprises' cross-border device connectivity. However, for B2B IoT enterprises expanding into overseas markets, some countries explicitly restrict or prohibit the long-term use of foreign IoT SIM cards, directly affecting device connectivity stability, business compliance, and operational costs. This article first clarifies the core countries with restrictions on long-term roaming of IoT devices and their regulatory rules, then analyzes the underlying logic from an industry perspective, providing references for enterprises' overseas communication planning.
一、 Key Countries and Rules Restricting Long-Term Roaming of IoT Devices
(I) Complete Prohibition: Rejecting Long-Term Residency of Foreign IoT SIM Cards
- Cuba, Iran: Foreign IoT SIM cards only allow short-term roaming for 7-30 days, used for device debugging or emergency communication. Service will be automatically disconnected after expiration with no legal extension channels, and enterprises must switch to local operator networks.
- North Korea, Turkmenistan: Have not signed IoT roaming agreements with major international operators. Foreign SIM cards only support emergency access for 24-48 hours after entry, and long-term deployed devices must connect to local communication networks.
- Nigeria, Turkey: Explicitly prohibit IoT devices from using foreign roaming cards for long-term connectivity. All cross-border deployed devices are required to bind local operator SIM cards, and violations may result in device disconnection or fines.
(II) Duration Limits: Setting Roaming Caps with Forced Suspension After Expiration
- EU Member States: According to the regional roaming new regulations, the cumulative roaming duration of foreign IoT SIM cards within 12 consecutive months shall not exceed 4 months. Local operators will automatically terminate services after expiration, requiring a switch to local networks.
- Australia, New Zealand: Default roaming permission is 30 days, which can be extended to a maximum of 60 days. Devices cannot continue to access the network after expiration, and enterprises need to batch register local SIM cards for devices.
- Brazil, Argentina: Major South American markets restrict foreign IoT roaming duration to 90 days per year. After expiration, enterprises must complete local commercial registration and connect to local operator networks, otherwise face compliance risks.
- Qatar: Foreign-network IoT devices can be used continuously for no more than 90 days, and outbound roaming is allowed for a maximum of 30 days. They must also meet local data routing requirements, otherwise will be forced to disconnect by CRA.
(III) Compliance Binding: Long-Term Use Permitted Only After Meeting Local Requirements
- Saudi Arabia, UAE: Foreign IoT SIM cards must complete local enterprise filing and device type certification within 14 days. After binding local business licenses, enterprises need to pay high monthly roaming service fees for long-term use.
- India, Vietnam: Roaming duration is limited to 180 days per year. After expiration, enterprises must provide local office certificates and device deployment filing documents. Only roaming services cooperating with designated local operators are supported, and unregistered devices will be restricted from connecting to the network.
- Thailand, Malaysia: Default roaming duration is 30 days. Extension requires submission of device deployment plans and local compliance documents, with cumulative roaming not exceeding 90 days. Long-term deployed devices must connect to local networks and complete local data storage.
二、 Core Industry Logic Behind Restrictions on Long-Term Roaming of IoT Devices
(I) Commercial Collaboration Barriers: Agreement and Cost Dilemmas of IoT Roaming
The realization of IoT roaming relies on special cooperation agreements between the enterprise's operator and the destination operator, and the commercial nature of long-term roaming determines the cooperation threshold.
- Insufficient motivation for cooperation in niche markets. Countries such as Cuba and Turkmenistan have small IoT market scales. Local operators gain limited benefits from signing roaming agreements with international operators and need to invest resources to adapt to the special communication needs of IoT devices, leading them to abandon long-term roaming cooperation directly.
- Imbalanced cost-sharing mechanism. IoT devices are connected to the network 24/7, occupying local network bandwidth, base station capacity and other resources for a long time. However, local operators can only obtain a small share of revenue from partners, far lower than the payment standards for local enterprise customers. They force enterprises to connect to local networks by restricting roaming.
- Regional market protection needs. Regional organizations such as the EU and the South American Community restrict long-term foreign roaming through unified policies to avoid foreign devices disrupting the local IoT communication market with low-cost roaming packages, protecting the commercial interests of local operators.
(II) Technical Adaptation Gaps: Compatibility Challenges Between IoT SIM Cards and Local Networks
IoT devices have higher requirements for communication stability and compatibility, and technical standard differences have become the core obstacle to long-term roaming.
- Incompatible frequency bands and network standards. Global IoT networks cover various standards such as GSM, CDMA, and NB-IoT. North America focuses on B2/B4/B12 frequency bands, Europe mainly uses B20/B3/B7 frequency bands, and some African countries still rely on 2G networks. If the IoT SIM card selected by the enterprise does not support the destination frequency band or network standard, stable connectivity cannot be achieved even with roaming activated.
- IoT-specific technical restrictions. Some countries require eSIM IoT devices to bind local operator Profiles and prohibit long-term residency of foreign eSIM Profiles. At the same time, they detect device roaming duration through technical means and automatically disconnect the network after expiration, which cannot be bypassed through technical cracking.
- Device certification and access requirements. Countries such as Qatar require all IoT devices to obtain type certification from local regulatory authorities. Foreign roaming devices cannot obtain long-term access rights because they have not passed the certification, which is essentially a regional barrier of the technical certification system.
(III) Industry Regulatory Policies: Safeguarding Communication Sovereignty and Data Security
IoT devices involve core links such as data transmission and device control, and national regulatory policies directly target industry compliance and national security.
- Data security and localization requirements. To prevent cross-border data leakage, countries such as Iran and India require data generated by IoT devices to be stored locally. Foreign roaming cards cannot meet the local data routing requirements, hence restricting long-term use.
- Market compliance and tax control. IoT devices using foreign roaming cards for a long time do not need to pay communication taxes to the destination country, leading to national tax loss. By restricting roaming, enterprises are forced to register locally, pay taxes, and be included in the formal regulatory system.
- Industry order and security control. IoT devices are widely used in key areas such as industrial control and smart cities. Some countries restrict foreign roaming cards to ensure the security and traceability of device network access, avoiding risks caused by illegal device access.
(IV) Operational Control Logic: Exclusive Restriction Rules for IoT SIM Cards
The functional design of IoT SIM cards and operator control strategies further reduce the feasibility of long-term roaming.
- Card type and package restrictions. Most IoT prepaid SIM cards have long-term international roaming functions disabled by default. Postpaid packages also only include short-term roaming quotas and do not support long-term roaming renewal for batch devices, failing to meet the needs of large-scale enterprise deployment.
- Intelligent monitoring of roaming status. Operators monitor device residency location and duration through big data. Once an IoT device is detected to be connected to the network overseas for a long time, an "abnormal roaming" alert will be triggered, and services will be automatically suspended. Enterprises need to submit compliance documents to unlock, and the number of unlocks is limited.
- Cost and risk control. Long-term roaming of IoT devices is prone to generating high traffic costs. Operators set consumption limits to avoid disputes and force disconnection after triggering the threshold. At the same time, operators also actively restrict long-term roaming rights for compliance risks of batch device roaming.
三、Leader in the IoT Industry - Metrix Aero Core
With more than ten years of experience in the IoT industry, Metrix Aero Core has not only accumulated service experience and global cooperation resources covering manufacturing, logistics and other fields, but also accurately grasped the IoT policy trends of various countries - from the technology innovation orientation of the United States, data security norms of the EU to the ecological construction needs of Japan and South Korea, and can provide compliance solutions for customers accordingly. Relying on close cooperation with major global operators, it can accurately match local cards or customized roaming cards according to customer business scenarios, supplemented by technical support from a senior R&D team, to create one-stop IoT connectivity solutions tailored for various enterprises, becoming a trusted industry leader for global customers.
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