Definition
Pooled Data (Pooled Traffic) refers to multiple SIM cards sharing a unified data pool, billed based on the total pool usage and allocated to devices, rather than billed individually per card. Similar to Shared Bucket, Pooled Data allows multiple cards to share data, reducing the cost per card, which is particularly suitable for IoT scenarios with high usage variability and a large number of devices. In the International IoT Cloud Platform (ICMP), Pooled Data is one of the important billing models for cross-border connection management.
Working Principle
The core of Pooled Data is "total pool + device allocation": a company purchases a certain total amount (e.g., 100GB/month) of a data pool, which is shared by all SIMs in the pool. The platform aggregates each device's usage to the pool level based on CDR or real-time usage data. When the total pool is exhausted, it can trigger Overage billing or Suspension. The allocation strategy can be "first come, first served" or set according to each device's Quota limit. Together with Usage Aggregation, the platform can provide usage reports at both the pool and device levels, supporting Usage Analytics and cost optimization.
Use Cases
Typical applications include: Fleet Management—a shared data pool for hundreds of vehicles, where individual vehicle usage fluctuates, pooling smooths costs; Industrial IoT—multiple devices in a factory share a pool, Quota assigned by production line or project; Cross-border Logistics—tracking devices roaming in different countries, pooling simplifies multi-country tariff management; Retail and POS—chain store devices share a pool, with headquarters purchasing centrally and branches using as needed. Pooling can also be combined with Volume Discount and Tiered Pricing, where larger usage results in lower unit cost.
Practice in ICMP
SimtoLink ICMP supports the creation of Pooled Data, device binding, usage monitoring, and billing. Customers can create a data pool in the Global Dashboard, set the total pool amount, Quota policy, Overage rules, and add SIMs to the pool. The platform aggregates usage in real-time, supporting Usage Aggregation and Usage Analytics, providing reports at both the pool and device levels. Combined with Unified Invoice, the pool can be billed in a unified manner, simplifying corporate financial processes. In cross-border scenarios, the pool can roam across multiple countries, billed according to the Rate Card and Roaming Policy.