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Research Report
The Connected Fleet 2026
The headlines
The IoT stats you need to know
We surveyed 675 enterprise IoT leaders across four markets to map where fleets are heading, why projects stall, what security incidents really cost, and why so many buyers are rethinking their connectivity provider. Alongside the data, leaders at ten major enterprises share what actually breaks at scale, and six questions worth putting to any provider before you sign.
49%
of cellular IoT connections will be international by 2030
International deployments are becoming the default operating model.
65%
cite out-of-coverage deployments as their #1 scaling pain
Coverage gaps are now a board-level scaling constraint.
77%
not using an MVNO would consider one for their next deployment
Flexible connectivity models are gaining ground fast.
24.6%
experienced an IoT security incident in the past 12 months
Security exposure is moving from theoretical to operational.
60%
name lack of expertise as the #1 project blocker
Internal skills gaps stall deployments more often than budget.
8%
of incidents cost $1M+ in lost revenue
The financial downside of weak connectivity controls is measurable.
47%
struggle with managing multiple connectivity platforms
Operational complexity is becoming a scaling problem of its own.
80%+
found at least one provider's capability insufficient
Buyer expectations are moving faster than many provider roadmaps.
The CEO View
Connectivity is the easy part of IoT,
until it isn’t.
Pelion’s view is straightforward. The future of enterprise IoT connectivity is borderless, eSIM-led, and managed. Not because those words sound modern, but because the buyer pain in this report points there.
What we hope you take from this report an honest picture of where deployments are stalling, where security is biting, where money is leaking, and where the next two years of estate decisions are likely to be won or lost. Connectivity is the easy part of IoT, until it isn’t. That’s where Pelion comes in.
Dave Weidner
CEO, Pelion
Key insights you'll find in the report
Connectivity is crossing borders
Respondents site growing demand for global connectivity, with a deploy once connect anywhere mindset required to keep pace with future Enterprise IoT requirements.
Platform sprawl is costing teams
47% struggle with multiple connectivity platforms, turning basic visibility, billing and troubleshooting into repeated manual work.
IoT Security risk has become operational
24.6% experienced an IoT security incident in the past 12 months, and 8% of incidents cost more than $1M in lost revenue.
Inside the report
Global IoT fleet management: 49% of enterprise deployments are going global
As deployments stretch across new regions, fleets are outgrowing single-network thinking. This chapter looks at how decision-makers are planning for connectivity that travels with the device, not the contract.
"We stopped asking which network covers us, and started asking which network does not."
IoT connectivity management: Why Reliability and CMP sprawl hinder growth
Coverage maps look complete until a fleet actually moves through them. 62% report reliability and unstable connectivity as a key concern. This chapter examines the gap between published network coverage and the reality in the field.
"Coverage on paper and coverage on the loading dock are two different maps."
Existing Providers: Why lack of expertise is driving dissatisfaction
Budget gets the headlines, but it is not what is actually stalling projects or causing the motivation to switch providers. This chapter unpacks why 60% cite a lack of IoT Expertise as causing customer dissatisfaction with current providers.
"We just didn't have the answers internally or the speed of support needed from our provider"
IoT security: 1 in 4 businesses experienced an incident in the past 12 months
Security incidents have moved from a theoretical risk to an operational reality. We break down where the exposure sits, what it costs, and how leading teams are closing the gap whilst 1 in 4 experienced an incident this past year.
"A SIM is an endpoint. We started securing it like one."
IoT MVNO vs MNO: why 77% would consider switching
Are deployers moving away from MNOs to flexible MVNO models. This chapter unpacks what is driving the shift, and what enterprises should weigh before making the move.
"Flexibility turned out to matter more than the logo on the SIM."
Survey methodology
About the data in this report
675 respondents across the UK, US, Canada and Europe, spanning Energy, Healthcare, Logistics, Manufacturing and Smart Buildings. Fieldwork ran Q4 2025 to Q1 2026 in partnership with ABI Research.
Named interviewees
- Autoliv
- CVS Health
- Drax
- Enbridge
- Equans
- UPS
- Sample
- 675 enterprise IoT decision-makers
- Markets
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- UK
- US
- Canada
- Europe
- Industries Covered
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- Industrial
- Healthcare
- Smart Cities
- Energy
- Transportation & Logistics
- Data captured
- Q4 2025 to Q1 2026
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The Connected Fleet 2026
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All chapters, insights and key findings.
