Europe’s connected-device market is becoming more complex and less predictable. Network shutdowns, new rollouts, and national rules now vary widely. That creates fresh pressure for operators serving global enterprise customers.
Vodafone IoT’s Head of Strategy, Phil Skipper, says the region increasingly resembles a patchwork market.
“What we’re seeing in Europe is the landscape is becoming sort of more of a checkerboard. It’s never been holistic,” he tells Mobile Europe.
The issue matters because enterprises rarely want to manage network diversity themselves. They expect devices to connect across borders with minimal effort. That expectation covers vehicles, meters, machines, logistics assets, and industrial systems.
Skipper points to several forces behind the shift. Countries regulate telecoms differently. Sovereignty rules now influence where data and infrastructure sit. At the same time, operators are retiring 2G and expanding 4G and 5G.
“You’ve also got considerations about the network deployment. So, 2G networks are being switched off, 4G networks are being built, 5G networks are being built on top of 4G, 5G standalone networks are being introduced, then over the top of it comes satellite.”
This wider technology mix gives enterprises more choice and better performance. 4G offers stronger bandwidth than older networks. Satellite can support remote coverage. Narrowband IoT, LTE-M, and Cat-M help low-power devices operate efficiently.
Yet the same variety creates operational strain. Devices may need different profiles, local SIMs, or country-specific routing. Customers often see only the service failure, not the underlying cause.
“Now, our customers are less bothered about that. They just want global connectivity, wherever they go,” he explains.
“That’s really our job to orchestrate that complexity because we’re experts in the telecom space, whereas our customers aren’t.”
That orchestration layer is becoming central to modern IoT services. It acts like a control layer above many networks. For customers, it should appear as one simple management view.
Vodafone IoT now connects more than 214 million devices. Its footprint spans hundreds of networks and around 180 countries. Scale helps simplify access, but it also increases coordination demands.
Skipper believes AI will play a larger role in this process. It can select the best network, profile, and data setup. It can also support automation across routine operational tasks.
“People think AI automation is separate. When we look at it, AI is the path to automation. Because our automation is really about the automation of processes, which can be done very well with AI.”
However, automation will not remove every challenge. Europe’s national approaches will continue shaping network design. Localisation will also grow because of sovereignty and compliance needs.
“You’ve now got a very mixed set of different networks in different countries, and customers just want a consistent experience,” he says. “It’s variability that’s driving one element of this complexity.”
For operators, the message is clear. Connectivity alone no longer defines IoT leadership. The real test is making fragmented networks feel simple, reliable, and global.
