Mobile IoT module market jumps 14% – led by China, Quectel, Qualcomm, NB-IoT

Mobile IoT module shipments rose by 14 % within the 12 months to the tip of 2022, with China main the best way for regional cargo volumes India main the best way for regional cargo development, NB-IoT main the best way for low-power IoT volumes, LTE CAT1.bis main the best way for brand new development, and Quectel and Qualcomm main the best way for modules and chipsets, respectively. Counterpoint Analysis has a brand new report on the topic; it predicts development will leap greater, reaching 19 %, in 2023.

It mentioned mobile IoT volumes have reached a “file excessive” in 2022, regardless of the macro indicators of a creating financial hunch, the impression of battle in Europe, and the long-tail impact of the Covid pandemic. It mentioned IoT gross sales grew as the worldwide sensible meter market reasserted its buoyancy after lockdowns and distancing, and POS upgrades in retail, asset monitoring in logistics, and telematics and connectivity within the automotive area drove greater demand.

China invariably leads the mobile IoT market by area, famous Counterpoint Analysis. North America and Western Europe observe, so as; India is the quickest rising market, adopted by Latin America, and North America (already second for volumes). India, it famous, has “immense potential”, regardless of beginning a way behind. Demand in Japanese Europe declined resulting from battle in Ukraine.

Chinese language outfit Quectel was high of the pile, with a dominant 38.5 % share of the IoT module market due to its reputation at residence. Cell operator China Cell (7.3 %), web supplier Sunsea (5.3 %), and module maker Fibocom (5.2 %) – all Chinese language – ranked behind. Telit and Thales, in fifth and sixth globally, have been second and third behind Quectel exterior of China; they are going to mix as Telit Cinterion by the tip of Q1. 

Counterpoint Analysis mentioned Quectel did nicely on the again of provide of community entry system (NAD) modules – IoT modules geared for vehicles; it gained “a number of design wins with main automakers”. It wrote: “The competitors within the NAD module market is intensifying because the business transitions to 5G. With each transition of mobile, the market has consolidated… to serve the automotive section, which requires heavy customization however garners a decrease margin.”

In the meantime, Qualcomm claimed a 40 % share of the mobile IoT chipset market in 2022; it was adopted by UNISOC (20 %) and ASR (9.4 %), buoyed by the LTE CAT1.bis market. Qualcomm was robust within the higher-end IoT classes – LTE CAT 4, as much as 5G. Its new CAT1.bis chipset, QCX216, goes up in opposition to “LTE CAT1.bis leaders UNISOC and Eigencomm”, mentioned Counterpoint Analysis. 

Eigencomm and Xinyi Semiconductor, each “new gamers from China” with profitable low-cost/high-volume NB-IoT video games, broke into the highest 5, it mentioned – “filling the hole left by HiSilicon”. NB-IoT was the preferred cellular-based low-power wide-area (LPWA) IoT know-how within the interval, adopted by 4G CAT 1 and 4G CAT 4 modules. Collectively, these contributed to 60 % of the whole IoT module market, calculated Counterpoint Analysis.

An announcement defined: “NB-IoT noticed robust adoption in China however has been much less common exterior the nation. In distinction, 4G CAT.1bis has been gaining traction globally and has the potential to be an alternative choice to a number of NB-IoT and current 2G/3G purposes.” 5G-based IoT modules are nonetheless too costly, the report concludes – and can stay so till the common promoting value (ASP) goes beneath $100, and doubtless till 5G-based RedCap seems. 

Mohit Agrawal, affiliate director at Counterpoint Analysis, commented: “World mobile IoT module shipments [will see] register strong development of 19 % in 2023. Development… within the high-value industrial section will probably be key for IoT tasks which have struggled to maneuver past the pilot stage and for corporations which can be focusing extra on ROI in a tricky macroeconomic atmosphere. However, shipments of IoT modules for the sensible meter, level of sale (POS) and automotive markets are anticipated to proceed seeing robust development.”