Maritime IoT Data SIM Cards
Multi-network data SIMs for vessel telemetry, small-crew connectivity and a second path when the satellite link is obstructed, congested or stowed.
Starlink changed what a SIM is for at sea
Bulk data offshore is a satellite job now, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What cellular still does better is everything close to land, everything small and constant, and everything that has to keep working when the dish does not.
Up to four networks, one SIM
In the UK, France and Spain a Wave SIM reaches four operators. In Germany, Italy and Ireland, three. Coastal coverage differs sharply between operators, so the one that works in your home marina may not be the one that works along the coast.
Profile changes without boarding
On hardware that supports remote provisioning we load or switch the network profile for you from our side — no engineer meeting the vessel. It depends on the device, so ask us whether yours qualifies.
Buy the data, not a contract
30-day and 12-month plans are bought outright, with no monthly tie and no minimum fleet size — which suits a boat that works six months of the year.
Where the satellite link isn't the answer
Not a criticism of the dish. Three situations where a cellular path earns its place alongside it.
Alongside, and in the marina
Close to shore the cellular network is strong and cheap, and the satellite service is at its least efficient — contended, and competing with every other boat on the pontoon doing the same thing. This is where most of a season's data is actually used.
Obstruction and weather
Bridges, boathouses, superstructure, a stowed or folded dish, heavy rain fade. A satellite link needs a clear view and power; a SIM in a router needs neither, so the two fail in different conditions rather than together.
Telemetry shouldn't ride the main link
A high-water alarm or a shore-power fault matters most when the boat is unattended and everything else is switched off. Putting monitoring on its own small SIM means it does not depend on the system most likely to be powered down.
What you'll be connecting
Mostly small, constant payloads, plus a router that needs somewhere to fail over to.
What a vessel actually uses
Three very different profiles, and the mistake is buying one plan for all of them.
Laid up, unattended
Roughly 20–50 MB a month for alarms, battery state and a position check. A 1 GB plan covers a whole winter with room to spare.
In commission, telemetry only
Roughly 50–200 MB a month with engine data, AIS reporting and regular position updates while the boat is being used.
Small crew, or Starlink backup
Roughly 1–3 GB a month for weather, charts, messaging and the hours the dish is down. Refills reach 100 GB, and pooled data across a fleet has no cap.
A boat used at weekends in season, with monitoring left on over winter, typically lands inside a 6 GB / 12 month plan. Add crew use or regular failover and the 25 GB plan is the one to start from.
These are indicative figures, not measurements of your vessel. Tell us the boat, the kit aboard and how it is used and we will size it properly before you buy anything.
Plans for vessels and fleets
Prices shown in your own currency. A marine router almost always takes a standard SIM, so check the slot before choosing the eSIM — though the eSIM is the better choice on a sealed or hard-to-reach enclosure.
Europe 6 GB / 12 Months
Most boughtStandard SIM
Europe 25 GB / 12 Months
Standard SIM
Running a charter fleet, or want one pool shared across several boats? Talk to us about volume pricing.
Common questions
How far offshore does this actually work?
Coastal, not ocean. Expect useful service within sight of land — often a few miles, sometimes considerably more where a mast is high and the water is sheltered, and nothing once you are well offshore. That is the honest limit of any cellular SIM, which is exactly why we position this alongside a satellite link rather than instead of one.
Can it work as failover for Starlink?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons people buy it. Most marine routers will hold both and switch automatically when the primary drops. Size the plan for the hours you expect to be on the backup, not for your whole normal usage, and remember that refills go up to 100 GB if a bad month runs long.
Can we leave it aboard over the winter?
That is one of the better uses for it. Monitoring left running on a small plan will tell you about a flat battery, a tripped shore supply or water in the bilge while the boat is unattended and the main systems are off. A 1 GB plan is usually more than enough for a lay-up.
Does the APN change when the SIM switches network?
No. The APN is set once in the router and stays put through reselection, so the same configuration works whether the boat is in its home marina or along the coast in another country.
What if a boat uses more than its plan?
Nothing auto-bills at a surprise rate. Refills on a prepaid plan go up to 100 GB, so a heavy month is a top-up rather than a migration, and the portal can notify you before a plan runs out rather than after. Across a fleet, pooled data has no cap and is quoted — usually simpler than managing a plan per hull.
Tell us about the boat
What it is, what's aboard, where it works and whether there's a satellite link to sit behind. We'll size it and send a quote, usually the same day.