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Challenge
A telematics provider operates an insurance solution supporting a large, connected vehicle estate across the UK and EU. It supplies a device and solution to large insurance customers, who in turn provide a black box to policyholders - typically to reduce the cost of a policy and aimed largely at young drivers. The device monitors driving behaviour, including speed, harsh braking and acceleration, cornering, mileage, time of travel and location, feeding into a driver risk score, alongside an SOS button that can place a call in the event of a collision.
With vehicles constantly moving between towns, cities, rural areas and across international borders, cellular was the only viable connectivity option, but a single-network SIM introduced a coverage risk of its own. Mobile coverage varies by location and operator, and tying every device to one network could leave devices exposed the moment a vehicle moved outside that network's strongest coverage.
Connectivity was only part of the requirement. Each of the roughly 10,000 devices moves through its own lifecycle: tested before deployment, activated once installed, deactivated if not immediately needed, returned to stock when a policy expires, and reactivated when redeployed. Manually managing that lifecycle across 10,000 SIMs would create significant operational overhead, so the business needed connectivity management it could build into its own systems and processes via API, rather than a manual, SIM-by-SIM administrative task.
The business needed a way to:
- Keep devices connected as vehicles move across the UK and EU, without depending on a single operator's coverage.
- Switch connectivity on and off as each device moves through testing, deployment, deactivation, return and reactivation.
- Manage that lifecycle at scale through API access, rather than manual intervention across thousands of SIMs.
Solution
Cellhire provided an IoT multi-network SIM across the approximately 10,000-device deployment, giving devices access to multiple mobile networks and the ability to use whichever available coverage suits their location as vehicles move around the UK and EU. The solution uses unsteered connectivity that permits permanent roaming, so devices aren't restricted to a single preferred network.
Alongside coverage, Cellhire gave the customer control over the connectivity itself, matched to the device lifecycle:
- Multi-network, unsteered connectivity with permanent roaming, so devices can use available coverage rather than being tied to one network as vehicles travel across the UK and EU.
- SIM activation and deactivation on demand, allowing a device to be connected and tested before deployment, kept active while a policy is live, switched off when the device is returned, and switched back on when redeployed.
- API access for connectivity management, so activation, deactivation and reactivation can be built directly into the customer's own operational systems rather than handled manually.
This gave the customer a way to manage a large, constantly changing pool of devices without treating every SIM as permanently active by default.
Cellhire have experts within their business who understand our industry, our operational logistics and the importance of real-time information and importantly, that pricing doesn't have to be complicated - it was explained clearly, so I know we've got the best setup for our solution.
Technical director, Telematics ProviderResult
- Greater operational flexibility. Devices can be tested before deployment, with connectivity switched on or off as required at each stage.
- Easier management of returned devices. When a policy expires and a device is returned, the SIM can be deactivated then reactivated when the device is redeployed, rather than left active.
- Reduced manual administration. API-driven control over SIMs and connectivity reduces repetitive manual intervention across a large device estate.
- Reduced dependence on a single network. Multi-network connectivity gives devices more resilience as vehicles travel across different coverage areas in the UK and EU.
- Easier self-diagnosis. The portal gives the team a way to check and understand issues directly, without depending on a ticket to find out what's wrong.
- A scalable approach. Multi-network connectivity, flexible SIM control and API access combine to support an estate that continues to change in size and composition.