Global IoT coverage

Some countries and networks, including our native high-performance 5G networks, are only available on custom plans. Businesses with over 500 devices and/or 50 MB per device may be eligible to contract with us and gain access to these additional networks. Contact our sales team to learn more.

Hologram's eUICC SIM cards offer access to multiple networks, all on a single SIM. If your device changes location within a country and loses connection with the current network, it will automatically connect to the next best available network. Similarly, when your device moves to a different country with different available cellular networks, it will connect to the next best available network in the new country. This behavior is inherent in our SIM cards. However, you will need to select the appropriate data plan in the Hologram dashboard that provides access to the countries where your device needs to connect. If you're unsure, we recommend starting with our Global data plan. You can always change the data plan later after your initial testing is completed.

If your devices only connect in the USA or only within Canada, you can choose our standard US-only and Canada-only data plans. However, if your devices move between the US and Canada, you'll need a custom plan that provides access to both countries on a single SIM card. Businesses with over 500 devices and/or 50 MB per device may be eligible to contract with us and get access to a custom plan. Contact our sales team to learn more.

Hologram blocks access in Cuba, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria in order to comply with U.S. sanctions regulations. Other countries may be subject to sanctions depending on the end user. Contact our sales team to learn more.

All of the networks included in our standard data plans offer permanent roaming access. For eligible customers, our custom plans can also offer permanent roaming solutions in countries with more restrictive roaming regulations, such as Brazil. In locations where permanent roaming is not allowed, such as Turkey, our custom plans can provide temporary access, which can be useful in cases where devices move across multiple countries but don’t reside in one location for more than 90 days.

Potentially. Although 5G access is growing globally, not all carrier networks provide 5G access today. Businesses with over 500 devices and/or 50 MB per device may be eligible to contract with us to gain access to our set of 5G-capable networks, including our native, high-performance 5G networks in the US and Canada. Contact our sales team to learn more.

Yes. In order for you to access Verizon through Hologram, we require proof of Verizon certification. Without certification, there is a high risk that your device will not be permitted to connect to Verizon’s network based on their terms of service. However, you can test with up to 20 devices before certification is completed. If you haven’t gone through Verizon certification and are looking for assistance, we can help. Contact our sales team to learn more.

LTE and LTE-M are different radio access technologies that run on the same infrastructure.

LTE (4G) is a widely available radio access technology that offered increased data speed for mobile internet access compared to its predecessor, 3G. Although not designed specifically for IoT devices, many IoT devices connect via LTE (4G) because of its wide global adoption.

LTE-M, also known as Cat-M1, is a “low‑power wide‑area” (LPWA) interface. It was designed specifically for IoT devices to transfer small amounts of data across a wide geographic range while using minimal power. Not all network operators have chosen to invest in LTE-M capabilities, so this radio access technology may be less available than LTE (4G).

Technically, LTE was a technological approach toward achieving a fourth-generation network (4G), but, today, LTE and 4G are now often used interchangeably to refer to the same thing. You may also see it written as LTE (4G) or 4G (LTE). LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution.”

Yes, LTE-M and Cat-M1 are the same thing.

The release of NB-IoT was welcome news for the IoT industry because it was purposely designed for IoT use cases, similar to LTE-M (Cat-M1). NB stands for “narrow band” and is a type of “low‑power wide‑area” (LPWA) interface. It allows devices to transfer small amounts of data across a wide geographic range while using minimal power. Unfortunately, NB-IoT hasn’t been widely adopted by network operators yet. It also has some limitations for devices that move locations and need to reconnect seamlessly to a new tower; in these cases, LTE or LTE-M are better options.

The Hologram SIM holds the credentials necessary to access 470+ networks worldwide. We’ve selected these networks based on their permanent roaming access and reliability.

When there are multiple available networks in an area, the actual network selection is largely driven by the cellular modem and firmware. A modem will scan all available networks and connect to the one that provides the strongest connection. Network availability depends on the bands your device can access, its geographical location, tower traffic, and a few other smaller factors. This is determined by your device's firmware. Read our general firmware advice guide for more information.