Mobile data has quietly become one of the strongest growth engines available to Managed Service Providers across the UK. For years, fixed connectivity formed the spine of the channel, but as cloud applications, distributed workforces and connected devices proliferate, customers increasingly expect their MSP to deliver flexible, always on mobile data alongside traditional services.
The shift is being driven by a clear commercial reality. According to recent industry analysis, the UK mobile data services market for businesses is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 12 percent through 2028, with SME demand outpacing enterprise in several verticals. For MSPs willing to lean in, that is recurring revenue with attractive margins and very low churn.
What does this look like in practice? Among our partners at Jola, we see three patterns repeating themselves.
The first is mobile data added to existing connectivity contracts. Almost every MSP customer using a fixed line will, at some point, need 4G or 5G failover, a mobile broadband router for a temporary site or a single SIM to keep a remote worker productive. These are easy conversations that lead to ongoing monthly revenue.
The second pattern is solving specific operational problems with mobile data. In retail, that means payment terminals, in store WiFi, click and collect lockers and digital signage. In transport and logistics, it covers vehicle telematics, tachograph downloads, driver tablets and chilled trailer monitoring. In the security sector, CCTV cameras, alarm transmission and lone worker devices all rely on resilient mobile connectivity. Public sector demand is particularly strong around connected vehicles, social housing, environmental monitoring and mobile working in health and social care.
The third pattern, and increasingly the most lucrative, is bulk M2M and IoT deployments. Customers do not always recognise these as mobile data projects, because they arrive labelled as digital transformation, ESG monitoring or asset tracking. The MSPs winning here are the ones who position themselves as the connectivity partner that makes the use case possible, rather than as a reseller of SIM cards.
Research we have conducted with the channel reinforces this picture. Among UK SMEs in retail, transport and logistics, security and public sector, more than 70 percent report rising requirements for mobile data over the next two years. Multi network resilience, predictable billing and easy management consistently rank as the most important features they want from a supplier.
The MSPs growing fastest are those who have built mobile data into the heart of their proposition. They are not selling SIMs in isolation. They are bundling mobile data with hardware, monitoring, security and professional services to create stickier, higher value contracts.
There is a cultural element to this too. The traditional carrier model, with long contracts, rigid bundles and opaque billing, simply does not work for modern SMEs. Customers want flexibility, transparency and the ability to scale up and down. MSPs partnering with specialist mobile aggregators are able to offer exactly that, often without minimum spend commitments or restrictive tariffs, and that flexibility is becoming a competitive differentiator.
Margin discipline matters as well. Some of our most successful partners have moved away from chasing wafer thin volume deals and instead focus on opportunities where mobile data is mission critical. A pound of recurring revenue from a connected payment terminal or a CCTV link is worth significantly more than a pound from a casual broadband contract, because the customer cannot operate without it.
Looking ahead, two technology shifts are accelerating MSP growth in this space. eSIM is making it easier to deploy, swap and manage devices at scale, removing the logistical friction that used to slow projects down. Private and shared multi network platforms are giving MSPs the resilience and reach those customers used to associate only with the tier one carriers, but with the flexibility of an aggregator behind them.
The opportunity for MSPs is not really about catching up with mobile. It is about realising that mobile data is now a foundational layer of every connected business. Customers who once asked their MSP about lines and broadband are now asking about routers, SIMs, eSIM, IoT platforms and managed mobile services. The providers answering those questions confidently are the ones building the strongest pipelines and the most resilient recurring revenue. The rest of the market will follow.
Jola sells on a wholesale basis to MSPs, ISPs, IT Support companies and Telecoms resellers. Together we supply mobile data solutions to companies worldwide. To find out more, request our Partner Pack.
