4 Connectivity Myths Holding Your Business Back

The telecommunications industry moves fast, but many businesses still operate on outdated assumptions that can seriously impact their bottom line. These persistent myths about global connectivity aren’t just harmless misconceptions, they’re actively hindering innovation and creating unnecessary operational headaches.

Let’s examine four widespread telecom myths and reveal what modern network orchestration can actually deliver for your mission-critical devices.

Myth #1: You Need Individual Carrier Contracts in Every Country for Global Deployment

The Reality: This belief stems from the traditional telecom model where businesses had to negotiate separate agreements with local carriers in each market. While this was once true, it’s now completely outdated. Even within a given country, you don’t need to have multiple agreements in place with various carriers to ensure coverage.

Modern network orchestration platforms can connect your devices across 196+ countries through a single eSIM solution. Instead of managing multiple carrier relationships, contracts, and billing systems, you gain access to global networks through one unified platform.

Consider the administrative nightmare of traditional approaches: separate negotiations in each country, varying contract terms, multiple billing systems, and different technical requirements. Each new market meant months of preparation before you could even begin deployment.

Another approach often considered is partnering with Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), which can provide network access without the need to manage contracts with various carriers. While MVNOs may simplify connectivity in certain regions, they come with notable limitations, such as fragmented network agreements, restricted scalability, and inconsistent service quality across borders. Additionally, managing multiple MVNO relationships to achieve global coverage can reintroduce complexities similar to traditional methods, reducing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your operations.

Network orchestration eliminates these barriers entirely. Your devices can access optimal local networks automatically, without requiring individual carrier relationships or complex roaming agreements.

Myth #2: All eSIM Platforms Provide True Network Freedom

The Misconception: Many assume that any eSIM solution offers complete network flexibility. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with conventional MVNO roaming solutions that claim to offer eSIM capabilities.

Traditional MVNOs operate within restrictive frameworks that limit your network options. They typically offer access to predetermined roaming partners, often at inflated rates with performance compromises. MVNOs lease network access from major carriers but lack direct control over core network parameters. You’re still locked into their specific network relationships and pricing structures.

What Real Network Freedom Looks Like: True network orchestration provides native access to multiple carrier networks without the limitations of roaming agreements. This means your devices connect directly to local networks, delivering better performance (lower latency and higher throughput) at lower costs.

The difference is significant. While MVNO solutions might offer “global coverage,” they’re essentially reselling roaming services with markup pricing and performance limitations. Network orchestration gives you direct access to carrier-grade connectivity with the flexibility to optimize for coverage, cost, or performance based on your specific needs.

Myth #3: Higher Data Usage Always Means Higher Costs

The Traditional Thinking: Most connectivity providers lock businesses into rigid contracts with minimum commitments, escalating tier pricing, and penalty clauses for exceeding usage thresholds.

This creates a problematic dynamic where businesses either overpay for unused capacity or face unexpected costs when their applications require more data than anticipated. The result is often conservative deployment strategies that limit innovation.

The Modern Reality: Pay-as-you-go pricing models change this equation entirely. You pay only for the data your devices actually consume, eliminating waste and providing cost predictability.

For high-usage applications, unlimited 5G data plans can provide all-you-can-consume connectivity for devices operating in supported regions. This enables new deployment models where data usage becomes a tool for innovation rather than a constraint.

The cost flexibility extends beyond just pricing. Without minimum commitments and long-term contracts, you can scale deployments dynamically based on actual business needs rather than contractual obligations.

Myth #4: Connectivity Requirements Are Simple and Standardized

The Oversimplification: Many businesses approach connectivity as a commodity purchase assuming all solutions provide similar capabilities with minor price differences.

This misconception leads to inadequate connectivity strategies that create vulnerabilities in mission-critical applications. The reality is that connectivity requirements vary dramatically based on application type, geographic scope, performance needs, and reliability requirements.

The Complex Reality: Modern connectivity requirements involve multiple layers of consideration:

• Redundancy needs: Mission-critical devices require backup connectivity options to prevent single points of failure
• Performance optimization: Low-latency applications need direct network access rather than roaming connections
• Geographic flexibility: Global deployments require seamless network transitions across borders
• Security requirements: Sensitive applications need carrier-grade security rather than shared MVNO infrastructure
• Scalability planning: Growing deployments need platforms that can adapt without hardware changes

Network orchestration addresses these complexities through intelligent network selection, automated failover capabilities, and centralized management that scales with your business needs.

The Real Cost of Believing These Myths

These misconceptions aren’t just academic—they create tangible business consequences that compound over time.

Delayed Time-to-Market: Believing you need individual carrier contracts can add months to global deployment timelines. While competitors launch with modern network orchestration, you’re still negotiating with local carriers.

Increased Operational Complexity: Managing multiple connectivity vendors creates administrative overhead that diverts resources from core business activities. Your team spends time managing relationships instead of driving innovation.

Reduced Reliability: Single-carrier dependencies create vulnerability to network outages that could have been avoided with proper redundancy. When BMW’s US network partners discontinued service, their connected vehicles lost internet connectivity entirely—a problem that network orchestration would have prevented through automatic failover.

Higher Total Costs: Inflexible contracts and inability to optimize network selection can significantly increase lifetime connectivity expenses. Traditional approaches often include hidden costs through minimum commitments, overages, and inefficient roaming charges.

Limited Scalability: Traditional approaches create barriers to expanding into new markets or scaling device deployments. Each new region requires separate negotiations and technical integration work.

Moving Beyond Outdated Thinking with Network Orchestration

The telecommunications landscape continues evolving rapidly, and businesses that cling to outdated assumptions risk falling behind competitors who embrace modern solutions. Network orchestration represents a fundamental shift from rigid, carrier-centric models to flexible, business-centric platforms.

Network Orchestration Service (NOS) provides the new standard for ensuring devices remain always connected to optimal networks globally. Unlike traditional approaches that force businesses to choose between carriers, NOS enables dynamic network selection based on performance, cost, and coverage requirements.

Key advantages include:

• Redundancy protection: Automatic failover prevents single points of failure
• Performance optimization: Direct network access eliminates roaming limitations
• Simplified management: Centralized control reduces operational complexity
• Future-proofing: Platform-based approach adapts to changing network landscape
• Cost flexibility: Pay-as-you-go pricing eliminates waste and unpredictable expenses

Organizations considering their connectivity strategy should evaluate solutions based on current capabilities rather than historical limitations. The gap between traditional approaches and modern network orchestration continues widening, making this decision increasingly critical for competitive positioning.

Take Control of Your Connectivity Strategy

Understanding these realities enables better decision-making and helps businesses leverage connectivity as a strategic advantage rather than just another operational cost. Modern network orchestration offers capabilities that simply weren’t possible with traditional approaches.

The future of global connectivity is more flexible, reliable, and cost-effective than many organizations realize. Businesses that embrace network orchestration gain significant competitive advantages through faster deployments, reduced costs, and improved reliability.

Ready to move beyond telecom myths and explore what modern connectivity can do for your business? Schedule a meeting with a TEAL expert to discover how Network Orchestration Service can transform your connectivity strategy and eliminate the limitations that are holding your deployments back.