Every 4G remote switch we ship includes an IoT data card active for five years, and the most common pre-order question is simple: what happens on day 1,826? This page answers it the way we answer customers directly, including the costs, the alternatives and the honest uncertainties.
Why a data card at all
A 4G switch uses a few megabytes per month — less than one photo. The card exists because no site visit should ever be needed for connectivity: the device works from the moment it is powered, in any country where the card has roaming or local coverage. The card is not a subscription trap; it is what makes the installation a two-wire job with zero IT setup.
What the five years include
- Data connectivity for the device's telemetry and app traffic — switching commands, status polling, schedules. Typical consumption is 1–5 MB per month per unit.
- Multi-network roaming: the card attaches to the strongest available network rather than one operator.
- No activation fee, no monthly billing, no contract on your side during the five years.
After year five: the three options
- Renew with us. We offer card renewal through the same platform; pricing depends on the destination country and current carrier rates, which genuinely change — so we quote it at renewal time rather than promising a number five years ahead. Historically the renewal has cost a few dollars per device per year in most markets. Ask for the current rate for your country and we will give you the real figure, not a promise.
- Swap in your own SIM. Every 4G unit we sell accepts a standard SIM and lets you configure the APN in the app. Local M2M plans from your own carrier are often the cheapest route for large fleets; the device does not care whose card is inside.
- Do nothing temporarily. The switching, schedules and local Bluetooth setup keep working without data; you only lose remote reachability until the card is renewed or swapped.
Swapping cards in the field
Cards sit behind a screwed or latched cover and swapping takes under five minutes: power down, swap, power up, update the APN if needed. For fleets we recommend recording the ICCID of each card against each device serial at installation — it makes the year-five swap a one-visit-per-site job instead of a troubleshooting project.
What we cannot promise, stated honestly
IoT carrier platforms are consolidated and re-priced by the operators, and five-year-old rate cards are renegotiated in ways no manufacturer controls. Any supplier promising a fixed perpetual data price is either subsidising it or hoping you will not ask. Our position is simpler: the card is included for five years, renewal is quoted transparently at the time, and the device accepts your own SIM forever. That combination keeps you in control of the total cost of ownership.
Planning a large deployment and want the five-year connectivity cost modelled per device? Send the device count and destination country — we will run the numbers. For the hardware side of the same decision, see the 4G vs Wi-Fi selection guide.