Introduction: Why Module Choice Matters
The cellular IoT module sitting inside a connected device might seem like a commodity. It is a small component buried beneath layers of firmware, housing, and cloud infrastructure. But the choice of module is one of the most consequential decisions an IoT product team has to make. It determines which radio-type a device can access, how much power it consumes, what certifications it carries, and ultimately, how reliably it operates in the field for years or even decades.
At 1NCE, we manage connectivity for more than 30,000 customers worldwide, who themselves use over 6,270 different device types from 940+ manufacturers across 100+ countries and 17 industries. This broad customer base gives us and our customers the chance to learn from each other. It tells us what hardware the IoT industry actually deploys, not what vendors claim is popular, but what real businesses choose when they commit to a product design.
The US Top 10: A Remarkably Tight Race
This analysis focuses on the United States, the world's largest single-country IoT market by enterprise spending. Drawing from aggregated and anonymized data across 1NCE Insights, we rank the top 10 cellular IoT modules by 1NCE’s customer adoption. Specifically we are listing how many distinct businesses use each module. It reveals the hardware backbone of American IoT.
The most striking feature of the US ranking is how competitive the top 5 are. The leading module, Quectel's EC25, commands 15.5% of customer adoption. But the gap between first and fourth place is just 1.2 percentage points, with Nordic Semiconductor's nRF9160 at 14.5%. The generally broadly used Quectel's BG95 ranks interestingly “only” at position 3 with 14.4%, followed closely by SIMCom's A7670 at 14.3%. This is not a market with a runaway winner; it is a market where four modules are essentially neck-and-neck for dominance.
That tight clustering at the top tells a story about the US market's diversity. Unlike some European markets where a single legacy module can command a clear lead, the US market reflects a broader mix of use cases, industries, and IoT connectivity requirements. US enterprises are not converging on one solution, they are choosing from a competitive field based on specific technical needs.
The drop-off after position four is significant. Quectel's EG25 holds 10.9% in fifth place, but by the time we reach positions eight through ten with SIMCom's SIM7080 (4.5%), SIM7000 (4.4%), and Quectel's EG915 (4.4%) we are looking at modules adopted by fewer than 90 customers each. The top four together account for nearly 59% of the top-10 total.
Module-by-Module Analysis
The EC25, holding the top spot, is Quectel's widely deployed LTE Cat 4 module. Its popularity in the US reflects the market's emphasis on reliable, higher-bandwidth connectivity. Cat 4 offers up to 150 Mbps downlink, making it suitable for applications ranging from digital signage and video surveillance to fleet telematics and payment terminals. Importantly, the EC25 supports all major US LTE bands and has been on the market long enough to have an established certification history with carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
In second place, the nRF9160 from Nordic Semiconductor stands out as the only non-Quectel, non-SIMCom module in the entire top 10. Not to mention that it is the only non-Chinese module in the top 10! This system-in-package combines an LTE-M/NB-IoT modem with an Arm Cortex-M33 application processor, making it a favorite for companies building compact, power-efficient devices from scratch. Its strong showing in the US (14.5%) reflects the American market started to adapt LPWAN-based use cases. The nRF9160's popularity in asset tracking, wearables, and environmental monitoring. Notably, while it ranks second by customer count, it powers over 131,000 devices, suggesting many nRF9160 customers deploy at significant scale.
The BG95, at 14.4%, is Quectel's multi-mode LPWAN module supporting LTE Cat M1, Cat NB2, and EGPRS. Its near-tie with the nRF9160 highlights the fierce competition in the low-power segment. However, the BG95's device count is extraordinary: over 1.68 million devices, dwarfing every other module in the list. This means a smaller number of BG95 customers are deploying at massive scale, likely in utility metering, smart agriculture, or logistics tracking.
SIMCom's A7670, essentially tied for third at 14.3%, is a Cat 1 module. It offers a middle ground between the high throughput of Cat 4 and the ultra-low power of Cat M1. Its strong adoption signals that many US businesses want "good enough" bandwidth for their applications without the cost premium of Cat 4 or the coverage limitations of LPWAN in certain US geographies.
The Manufacturer Landscape: Chinese Dominance
Quectel Wireless Solutions occupies 5 of the 10 positions, making it the undisputed leader by breadth of adoption. This is not a coincidence. Quectel has built its position through an aggressive product strategy that offers modules across every major cellular category (Cat 1, Cat 4, Cat M1, Cat NB1), extensive carrier certification programs, and competitive pricing that appeals to both startups and enterprises.
The broader picture is striking: 9 out of 10 modules in the US top 10 come from Chinese manufacturers. Quectel and SIMCom, both headquartered in Shanghai, together account for virtually the entire ranking. Nordic Semiconductor, based in Trondheim, Norway, is the sole non-Chinese entry. This level of concentration raises important questions about supply chain resilience and vendor diversification in a market that is increasingly scrutinized through the lens of technology sovereignty. While Chinese module vendors have earned their position through competitive pricing, broad product portfolios, and fast certification cycles, the geopolitical dimension of this dominance is becoming a board-level conversation for many IoT adopters.
SIMCom Wireless Solutions holds 4 spots, anchored by the A7670 at fourth place. SIMCom's strength in the US tends to come from cost-sensitive applications and from its legacy modules (the SIM7000 series) that have been in production for years and carry established firmware ecosystems.
Nordic Semiconductor's presence is limited to a single module, the nRF9160, but its second-place ranking demonstrates that a focused strategy can compete effectively against the volume players. Nordic's developer ecosystem, excellent documentation, and the nRF Connect SDK give it a differentiated position among engineering teams that prefer to build closer to the metal.
What the Data Reveals About US IoT Maturity
Several patterns in the US data point to a market in a particular phase of evolution. First, the strong representation of both Cat 4 (EC25, EG25) and LPWAN (nRF9160, BG95, BG96, SIM7080, SIM7000) modules suggests the US market has bifurcated: high-bandwidth applications are going Cat 4, while cost- and power-sensitive deployments are migrating to LPWAN. The Cat 1 middle ground (A7670) remains significant but may be a transitional category as 2G/3G sunsets push legacy applications to choose a lane.
Second, the device-to-customer ratios reveal dramatically different deployment patterns. The BG95's 1.68 million devices across 281 customers implies an average of roughly 6,000 devices per customer , classic utility or logistics scale. The EC25's 32,760 devices across 302 customers averages about 108 devices per customer , more typical of SME or pilot-phase deployments. Understanding this distinction is critical: customer adoption and device volume tell different stories about market penetration.
Third, the absence of 5G modules in the top 10 is notable. Despite significant carrier investment in 5G infrastructure, the IoT market has not yet shifted to 5G modules in meaningful volume. This aligns with industry expectations. 5G IoT adoption is projected to accelerate from 2027 onward as module costs decrease and RedCap (Reduced Capability) 5G becomes mainstream.
Strategic Implications for IoT Decision-Makers
For businesses planning IoT deployments in the US, this data offers practical guidance. The EC25 and BG95 are safe choices. They represent the broadest adoption bases, which typically correlates with mature firmware support, extensive carrier certification, and established supply chains. However, the market's competitiveness means that switching costs between top-tier modules are relatively low, and businesses should evaluate modules based on specific application requirements rather than defaulting to the most popular option.
For module manufacturers, the data underscores the importance of carrier certification velocity in the US market. The modules that rank highest all share one trait: they have been through rigorous certification with multiple US carriers. The US market penalizes modules that cannot demonstrate broad carrier compatibility.
Finally, for investors and analysts tracking the IoT sector, the US module landscape confirms that cellular IoT is not a winner-take-all market. Three manufacturers (Quectel, SIMCom, and Nordic) together account for the entire top 10, but no single module commands more than 16% of the customer base. This fragmentation creates both opportunity and risk: opportunity for focused players like Nordic that can carve out a niche, and risk for incumbents if a new entrant disrupts on price or technology.
Methodology
This analysis is based on aggregated and anonymized data from the 1NCE Device Analyzer, part of the 1NCE Insights platform. The dataset encompasses more than 30,000 1NCE customers using over 6,270 unique device types from 940+ manufacturers, actively deployed across 100+ countries and 17 industries.
Modules are ranked by customer adoption, meaning the number of distinct business customers using each module, rather than by total device count. This approach gives equal weight to a startup deploying 10 devices and an enterprise deploying 100,000, providing a more balanced view of market preferences. Percentages reflect each module's share of the top-10 total for the given country.
Data reflects a snapshot from September 2026. Customer adoption patterns change as new modules enter the market, legacy technologies sunset, and businesses scale or pivot their IoT deployments.
Author: Arne Assmann, Chief Strategy Officer
