September 22, 2026. Permanent roaming is increasingly losing ground in the IoT market. Regulatory changes, carrier restrictions, and the growth of connected devices are driving the industry to pursue more sustainable, long-term connectivity models. Today, the multi-local model is establishing itself as the most secure, stable, and ready option for large-scale deployments.
The global market will surpass 5.4 billion cellular IoT connections in 2026, after closing 2025 with 4.7 billion active connections, according to IoT Analytics. This surge in devices has forced carriers and regulators to rethink the indiscriminate use of permanent roaming, especially in critical applications such as security, telemetry, or healthcare.
IoT connectivity, eSIM and B2B growth are on the table in Alicante this November. Register your delegate pass →
Beyond Permanent IoT Roaming: The Multi-Local Model
“Roaming must be used for what it was created for: temporary mobility outside the IoT ecosystem. IoT deployments require stable connectivity for many years, and this can only be guaranteed by working with local networks and complying with national regulation”, points out Rafael Escobar, Business Development Director at Alai Secure.
The CEO of Alai, Carlos Valenciano, explains that “Roaming was designed for travelers who need temporary connectivity when changing countries. In IoT, it is being used for devices that can stay connected for six, seven, or even ten years in the same territory.” According to the executive, this practice can trigger “technical and regulatory risks. When a SIM remains in permanent roaming, the operator relies on global agreements between carriers, which do not always guarantee service levels or long-term continuity. A regulatory or business change can impact the connectivity of thousands of devices”.
“Today, companies that want to scale with confidence need a long-term strategy built on a Multi-Local operating model, with a local IMSI in the country of deployment, regulatory compliance, data sovereignty, enhanced operational stability, and true international scalability”, Valenciano emphasizes.
Five advantages over permanent roaming in IoT
Ensured regulatory compliance:
An increasing number of countries restrict or prohibit permanent IoT roaming to safeguard their telecom infrastructure. Markets like Brazil, the US, Canada, Turkey, and Singapore have already tightened their policies, and the trend continues to expand. A Multi-Local SIM card prevents blocks and disconnections because it operates in compliance with each country’s regulations.
Greater service stability and continuity:
Permanent roaming depends on carrier agreements that can be modified or canceled. When this happens, thousands of devices might unexpectedly lose connectivity. Instead, the Multi-Local model relies on local carriers and Multi-IMSI capabilities to select the best available network, increasing service availability.
Better coverage and performance:
When operating locally, devices access optimized network conditions with more consistent connectivity, lower latency, and greater stability, especially for critical communications.
International scalability without losing control:
The Multi-Local model simplifies international deployments by eliminating the need to manage separate operators in every country. A single provider can offer local coverage across multiple markets from a unified management platform.
Scaling IoT across borders? Compare notes with the operators and enablers doing it. Explore the 2026 agenda →
eSIM as a permanent roaming solution: a short-term strategy:
The IoT eSIM and the SGP.31and SGP.32 specifications, which are still in commercial rollout, enable remote profile management. Many devices deployed six or seven years ago do not support these new specifications. As this ecosystem evolves, the Multi-Local model offers an operational solution based on local identity, regulatory compliance, and service stability.
“At Alai Secure, we have relied on local agreements with carriers in the five countries where we operate for over 20 years to ensure stable and secure connectivity throughout the entire lifecycle of IoT devices. This is a strategic move that enables us to deliver more robust, flexible connectivity today, tailored to the needs of each market”, concludes Valenciano.
______________________________________________________
Continue the conversation at MVNO Nation Europe 2026
Roaming regulation, multi-IMSI, SGP.32 and the economics of long-life IoT deployments: bring your questions to Alicante, 3–5 November 2026, at Meliá Villaitana, and debate them with MVNOs, MNOs, enablers and IoT specialists.
______________________________________________________
About Alai Secure
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Spain, Alai Secure is a subsidiary of Grupo Ingenium that operates as an M2M/IoT services provider specializing in mission-critical communications management.
With a presence in Spain, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico, the company has established itself as a key player in the IoT connectivity ecosystem.
At Alai Secure, we design and manage IoT connectivity solutions that ensure maximum security, availability, and service continuity in critical environments. We operate in sectors such as Health and Social Care, where we manage approximately 40% of telecare communications in Spain, and in private security, where we provide services to more than 150 alarm monitoring centers, with over 300,000 active connections and more than 3 million monthly processed events.
Additionally, we provide managed connectivity to more than 800 brands across 25 industries and six countries, including Point of Sales Systems, Push-to-Talk, wearables, GPS, among many others, driving the growth and evolution of the IoT/M2M universe.
For more information, visit: https://alaisecure.es
