Global cellular IoT module shipments grew 70% year-on-year in Q3 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Cellular IoT Module, Chipset and Application Tracker.
In terms of overall revenue, the market crossed the $1.5-billion mark during the quarter and China continued to dominate in terms of volume, followed by North America and Europe. 5G was the fastest growing technology (+700% YoY) due to a lower base.
“Chinese module players performed well during this quarter while some international players struggled. Quectel, Fibocom and China Mobile were the top three cellular IoT module players in China in terms of shipments. For the rest of the world, Quectel, Telit and Thales were the top three cellular IoT module players,” said research analyst Soumen Mandal.
All the top five module players in Q3 2021 were from China. MeiG Smart is another Chinese player witnessing continuous growth. Automotive-grade NAD IoT module players Rolling Wireless and LG raced into the top 10 module players rankings as demand for connected cars continued to rise.”
Smart meter, POS (point of sale) and retail were the top three fastest-growing applications. The ongoing chip shortage had a negative impact on the automotive segment.”Qualcomm is leading in the global cellular IoT chipset market with more than one-third share. However, the company lost nearly 4 per cent market share compared to the previous quarter,” said vice president-research, Neil Shah.
The overall cellular IoT module ASP decreased by 3% sequentially thanks to the shift towards the cheaper NB-IoT and 4G Cat-1 modules during this quarter. However, 4G Cat 4+ and 5G IoT modules’ ASP rose due to tight supplies. This had minimal impact on total shipments, but if the supply situation doesn’t improve, it could slow down 5G adoption.
