KDDI-owned virtual network operator (MVNO) Soracom has launched an integrated SIM (iSIM) solution for global IoT deployments. It adds a third SIM option to its developer portfolio, to go with its card-type physical SIMs and chip-style embedded eSIMs. It is offering a new iSIM-compatible cellular module to boot, based on a dual-band LTE-M and NB-IoT module from Murata. It has worked with IoT chipset developer Sony Semiconductor Israel and SIM security solutions provider Kigen alongside.
Historically, Murata, Sony Semiconductor Israel, and Kigen have collaborated closely on iSIM development – including around iSIM-based smart IoT labels, which have caught the attention in early 2025 (see coverage here and here). The new Soracom hardware release is based on Murata’s Type 1SC module, presented as the “world’s smallest Cat-M1/NB-IoT module with global certification”. It is offered by the Chinese firm with GPS/GNSS positioning, blank OpenMCU software, and non-terrestrial network (NTN; satellite) support.
New iSIM technology integrates the functions of the communication module and SIM into a single system-on-chip. It enables IoT developers and manufacturers to create more compact, lightweight, and power-efficient devices, as fewer physical components are required. It also reduces procurement, logistics, and storage costs, and promises better environmental sustainability versus traditional SIMs – which require truckrolls and exchanges to provision and re-provision through their lifecycle.
Sony Semiconductor Israel is supplying the iSIM-in-chips, as it were. Kigen is offering its iSIM operating system into the bargain for secure device authentication. The Murata module is now available from Sracom with pre-installed IoT airtime (its ‘plan01s’ subscription). Soracom stated: “By utilizing Soracom’s subscription container feature, these modules can access other Soracom data plans, such as the optimized for LPWAN planX3.” Users also get various connectivity tools, covering data and device security, remote provisioning services, cloud integration.
Soracom is offering an evaluation kit, also with NTN-IoT and GNSS services, for customers to test the iSIM integration before committing.
Dima Feldman, vice president of product management and marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel, said: “We would like to express our gratitude to our partners for this exciting collaboration. Through this innovative model, iSIM seamlessly connects the LPWA chipset to the Soracom network, simplifying the hardware design and onboarding experience for our customers. This approach is essential for driving the adoption of lower-power cellular IoT applications and we believe it will significantly enhance IoT device-makers engagement and satisfaction.”
Hirokazu Nakae, general manager for Murata’s connectivity module department, said: “As an ultra-compact, low-power iSIM-compatible cellular LPWA communication module, our Type 1SC module is a perfect fit for Soracom users. Combining our miniaturization technology with iSIM provides users with a quick and easy solution for deploying IoT services at scale.”
Vincent Korstanje, chief executive at Kigen, said: “Thanks to our longstanding partnership with Soracom and our ecosystem partners, IoT device manufacturers now have instant access to our iSIM solution, accelerating developers’ speed to market and enhancing their ability to leverage global connectivity. This is a major milestone in supporting manufacturers with iSIM commercial general availability, globally.”
