What to look for in a great wholesale eSIM partner

The total global eSIM market is set to reach £34.2 billion by 2025. It's no surprise, then, that there’s been a huge rise in wholesale telecoms providers promising the earth to enterprising businesses hoping to capitalise on this transformative shift in mobile connectivity.

It’s predicted that by 2025 there will be 7.9 billion mobile phone users around the world. For the average person who spends upwards of 4.5 hours every day on their smartphone, connectivity is not just a handy tool, but an essential part of daily life. 

The minimum most end-users expect now is 4G coverage, and 5G is rapidly becoming the norm. Consumers are reliant on high quality speed and connectivity wherever they choose to work, rest or play, demanding continual access to high-bandwidth applications, streaming services, gaming platforms and collaboration on video and even AR/VR.

Wholesale partners must be able to supply high quality connectivity in as many parts of the world as possible. This is more problematic than it sounds. Some providers will claim to have network coverage everywhere, but if you dig a little deeper you’ll probably find that the coverage they’re offering is patchy at best, or the networks they’re claiming to use aren’t commercially viable. To ensure the best possible service for your customers, look for a wholesale eSIM provider who can guarantee a minimum of 4G coverage across at least 150 countries.

Another important consideration is what happens when things go wrong. No matter how robust the technology on offer may be, end-users will inevitably make mistakes — and dealing with those mistakes yourself can drain resources, erode margins and compromise your reputation. 

So, team up with a wholesale eSIM partner that not only offers support, but also equips you to empower your customers to solve their own problems.

Because eSIM is 100% digital, there are more things you can do to automate processes and help customers navigate issues for themselves. Live chat support — when executed well — is now the primary choice among today’s consumers, who are all about instant gratification. A huge 88% of customers already expect automated self-service when they use an app or visit an e-commerce website, so choose a partner who can help you simplify the process. 

A good wholesale eSIM connectivity provider will understand that their partners (like you) need services that are specific to their unique needs, but allow them to scale up without limits. Facilitating this requires extensive industry knowledge and experience of delivering complex connectivity services, along with access to global networks and a seat at the table with the industry’s key decision makers. Without those core elements, they’re unlikely to be able to offer the kind of solutions needed to thrive in this rapidly evolving environment.

It’s also about finding a team of people who genuinely care about building relationships with their partners. According to a report from Kaspersky, 65% of resellers said they found it difficult to build relationships with wholesale providers, because many of them saw their role as purely transactional. For real commercial value that translates into happy customers, the wholesale eSIM partner you choose must be able to demonstrate an understanding of your needs and a commitment to helping you give the best possible service. 

Transparency is crucial to any business relationship. What really matters is that any issues are clearly communicated and quickly resolved, so monitoring, communication and time are all key factors when you have live customers needing support.

Any eSIM provider worth considering will be happy to share their performance with a prospective partner, so ask to see a record of all fault KPIs and service reports. Look for the frequency of any outages and what the root causes were. Occasional outages within a single network or country are standard, but a complete outage of all services is a bigger concern.

Wholesale eSIM partners should also be able to share a roadmap that demonstrates their commitment to innovation, and their ability to keep up with this fast moving environment. This should include a detailed strategy in the following areas:

• Additional coverage and agreements including 5G
• Improved and enhanced commercials
• New features and services

Finding a wholesale partner you can trust is essential to delivering the eSIM proposition your customers want. The key is to find someone who has the right combination of experience, coverage and innovation, along with a clear commitment to building lasting relationships. If you’re ready to go now with eSIM Go, get in touch to arrange a call.