In sum – what you need to know
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Expansion into Latin America: Wireless Logic has acquired Brazil’s Arqia to grow its IoT airtime and services in Latin America.
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Navigating roaming restrictions: The deal helps overcome Brazil’s permanent roaming barriers, which impact fit-and-forget IoT deployments.
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Boosting IoT capacity: The acquisition strengthens Wireless Logic’s global IoT offering, supporting enterprise growth in Latin America.
Where does it stop? With at least 10 acquisitions in the last few years, Wireless Logic has announced another deal to extend its global MVNO footprint and IoT offer with the purchase of Brazil-based Arqia for an undisclosed sum. The UK outfit, selling cellular IoT to enterprises in global markets via roaming deals with 50-odd mobile operators, said it now has Latin America properly covered, as well. Brazil, notably, is one of the nine countries that has historically outlawed permanent roaming – which has presented an issue for globally-provisioned fit-and-forget IoT devices.
The others are China, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, and the UAE – where regulations or operator policies limit or prohibit permanent roaming on public networks. Arqia, founded in 2011 as the mobile services unit of the Datora Group, owns one of just 15 mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licences issued by Brazilian telecoms regulator ANATEL, and is the largest of the 15 MVNOs in the market, focused on IoT airtime provision. Datora Group is a wholesale voice and SMS specialist, and a local pioneer for the MVNO model.
Wireless Logic said: “[This deal] allows national mobile and IoT services via existing infrastructure, removing the need for new network builds… [It] marks an important milestone in Wireless Logic’s global expansion, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for enterprises navigating local and cross-border IoT connectivity. Arqia’s deep understanding of the rapidly growing LATAM market and its proven ability to connect millions of endpoints will extend support for enterprises scaling their IoT deployments across the region.”
Wireless Logic, backed by mid-market private equity firm Montagu, snapped up US-based MVNO Webbing in late 2023, extending its local presence to the Asian and North American markets, as well as providing new eSIM capabilities. That deal was its tenth in two years, following on the heels of purchases of IoT MVNO Blue Wireless, industrial IoT platform enabler IoThink Solutions, IoT MVNO Mobius Networks, and IoT data SIM provider Jola. Its purchase of IoT MVNO Arkessa in late 2020 is among its highest-profile deals.
Arqia has around 200 staff, and claims around three million managed IoT connections. Wireless Logic claims to manage around 14 million IoT devices/connections for 25,000 enterprise customers in 165 countries. The company also referenced “diversifying [its] market channels and enhancing its service portfolio” in the press statement about the deal for Arqia.
Tomas Fuchs, chief executive at Arqia, said: “This is an important new chapter for Arqia and our customers. Joining the Wireless Logic Group marks an important and positive transition for Arqia, as we move forward independently from the Datora Group. Its global expertise and resources complement our experience and leadership in the region, creating a partnership that will bring added value to enterprises deploying connected devices. We are excited to create new opportunities for growth and innovation.”
Oliver Tucker, co-founder and chief executive at Wireless Logic, said: “Arqia’s skilled team brings extensive expertise in the Latin American market, along with valuable insights and capabilities that perfectly align with our global growth vision. Together, we can extend our reach and deliver cutting-edge IoT connectivity solutions that enable enterprises to scale seamlessly and seize new opportunities in an increasingly connected world. We’re excited for the journey ahead.”
