M2M SIM cards
Choosing the right SIM matters as much as choosing the right tracker. A device with no signal is a paperweight. This article covers the three carriers Trakora certifies and their APN settings.
1. Carrier coverage in Tanzania
- Vodacom — best Dar es Salaam, Coast, and main highway coverage. Default choice for fleet in cities and on Dar–Mwanza, Dar–Mbeya, Dar–Arusha corridors.
- Halotel — strongest in upcountry and rural — Mwanza hinterland, Tabora, Singida, Kigoma. Good fallback to Vodacom in mixed routes.
- Airtel — strong in the Northern zone (Arusha, Kilimanjaro) and Lake zone. Often the best price per MB.
For mission-critical assets we recommend dual-SIM units (Teltonika FMC650, Concox JM-VL01) with primary + fallback carriers.
2. APN settings
| Carrier | APN | Username | Password |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vodacom M2M | internet | (blank) | (blank) |
| Halotel | internet | (blank) | (blank) |
| Airtel | internet | (blank) | (blank) |
| Vodacom postpay M2M | m-bb | (blank) | (blank) |
| TTCL | internet | (blank) | (blank) |
Configure in the Concox SMS command APN,internet# or in the Teltonika Configurator under GPRS → APN settings.
3. Data plan sizing
A typical GPS device sends ~1 KB every 30 seconds when moving and a heartbeat every 5 minutes when parked. Monthly data:
- Light asset tracker (1 ping per minute) — ~10 MB/month
- Active fleet (30s pings) — ~30 MB/month
- Premium fleet with CAN-bus — ~50–100 MB/month
- Cold-chain with frequent sensor data — ~20 MB/month
- Family/personal SOS device — ~15 MB/month
50 MB/SIM/month is a comfortable single-line plan for active GPS.
4. Buying M2M plans
- Vodacom M2M — sales reps can sell pooled plans (1 GB shared across 100 SIMs).
- Halotel M2M — pooled and per-SIM available.
- Airtel — usually per-SIM consumer plans; pooled on request.
Trakora can ship pre-activated and pre-configured SIMs by request — WhatsApp us the quantity and carrier.
5. SIM lifecycle
- M2M SIMs typically last 3–5 years before signal degradation.
- Replace if you see frequent disconnects but the device firmware and antenna check out.
- Don't move M2M SIMs into phones — they often have a no-voice flag and may be deactivated.
Still stuck?
WhatsApp +255 759 702 766 or email support@trakora.co.tz.