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Demand for traditional SIM also remained strong last year despite pandemic
According to data published by Trusted Connectivity Alliance (TCA), eSIM shipments increased 83 per cent year-on-year in 2020.
The rise was driven by the launch of a number of eSIM enabled handset models, IoT devices and smartwatches worldwide.
In total eSIM shipments reached 309 million units last year.
TCA also revealed that there is growing eSIM uptake where available for consumers.
And this was backed up by eSIM profile transactions which refer to the number of times an MNO was downloaded to a device. This increased by over 300 per cent last year.
TCA chairman of the board Claus Dietze said the data reflects the importance of eSIM technology to connect society both now and in the future.
He added: “With the number of eSIM-enabled consumer, IoT and M2M devices continuing to rise, along with increasing uptake of eSIM functionality, the foundations are laid for significant and sustained growth.
“And continued expansion of the supporting infrastructure means we can also anticipate new business opportunities for industry stakeholders through the delivery of eSIM personalisation, lifecycle management and security services.”
Traditional SIM demand still strong
The demand for traditional SIM form factors last year remained strong, despite the pandemic.
According to TCA estimates, global SIM shipments were around 4.8 billion units.
Last year also marked the first year of widespread 5G SIM deployments.