How Much Data Does a GPS Tracker Use? The 500MB IoT SIM Maths for Trackers, Tractors and Drones (2026)
How Much Data Does a GPS Tracker Use? The 500MB IoT SIM Maths for Trackers, Tractors and Drones (2026)
A GPS tracker sends postcards. A camera sends films. That one difference decides whether a 500MB IoT SIM lasts all month or runs out by Tuesday.
Most UK businesses guess their data plan. They either pay for gigabytes they never touch, or they buy too little and the tracker goes quiet just when a £90,000 tractor goes missing. This guide shows you how much data a GPS tracker uses, with the sums written out, so you can size an IoT SIM for one device or a fleet of 500 in under five minutes.
Already know your numbers? See the 500MB Multi-Network IoT SIM →
How Much Data Does a GPS Tracker Use Per Month?
A typical GPS tracker that reports once a minute, 24 hours a day, uses roughly 40–45MB a month. If it reports every 10 seconds while moving, it uses around 100–110MB. Even busy trackers usually stay well under 500MB. The exception is a tracker that reports every few seconds around the clock, which can pass 500MB.
Here is why. A tracker message is tiny. It holds:
- Where it is (latitude and longitude)
- How fast it is going, and which way
- The time
- Whether the engine is on
- Battery level and a quick health check
Each message is often well under 1KB of useful data. Network "packaging" (the envelope around each message) makes it bigger. For safe planning, we count 1KB per message, including that packaging.
The one sum you need
Monthly data (MB) = size per message (KB) × messages per month ÷ 1,000
Messages per month = messages per hour × hours switched on per day × 30.
GPS tracker data usage: worked examples
|
Reporting pattern |
Messages per month |
Data per month |
Fits in 500MB? |
|
Every 60 seconds, 24/7 |
43,200 |
~43MB |
✅ Yes, more than 10× headroom |
|
Every 30 seconds, 24/7 |
86,400 |
~86MB |
✅ Yes |
|
Every 10 seconds while moving (10 hrs/day) + hourly when parked |
~108,400 |
~108MB |
✅ Yes |
|
Every 5 seconds, 24/7 |
518,400 |
~518MB |
❌ Just over: needs a bigger plan or a slower setting |
These are planning estimates at 1KB per message. Real trackers vary, so always test one device first (see below).
The lesson: the tracker brand matters less than how often it talks. Change one setting from 5 seconds to 30 seconds and your data bill drops by about 80%.
Is 500MB Enough for an IoT SIM? The Quick Answer by Device
500MB is enough for most devices that send small, regular messages, such as GPS trackers, farm sensors, tractor telematics and drone telemetry. It is not enough for anything that sends video or lots of photos. If your device sends words and numbers, think 500MB. If it sends pictures and films, think gigabytes.
|
Device |
What it sends |
Example sum |
Typical month |
Right plan |
|
Soil moisture / weather sensor |
1 reading every 15 mins, ~0.5KB |
2,880 × 0.5KB |
~1.5MB |
500MB (huge headroom) |
|
GPS vehicle / asset tracker |
1 update per minute, 24/7 |
43,200 × 1KB |
~43MB |
500MB |
|
Tractor / harvester telematics (CAN-bus data) |
Every 30 secs, 12 hrs/day, ~2KB |
43,200 × 2KB |
~86MB |
500MB |
|
Agricultural drone telemetry |
1 msg/sec, 2 hrs flying, 20 days |
144,000 × 0.3KB |
~43MB |
500MB |
|
CCTV alert snapshots |
20 snapshots/day at ~200KB |
600 × 200KB |
~120MB |
500MB (alerts only) |
|
Drone survey photo uploads |
100 photos at ~5MB |
100 × 5MB |
~500MB per day |
10GB Drone eSIM |
|
Live HD video (1080p, ~4Mbps) |
Continuous stream |
4Mbps × 3,600s |
~1.8GB per hour |
10GB+ or unlimited |
One line to remember: 500MB of live HD video lasts about 16 minutes. The same 500MB keeps a GPS tracker running for about 11 months at one update per minute.
Three Hidden Data Users Most Buyers Forget
Your sums are only right if you count the quiet extras too.
- Firmware updates (OTA). Trackers and telematics boxes download software updates over the air. One update can be a few megabytes. Ask your hardware supplier how big their updates are and how often they arrive.
- Heartbeats and keep-alives. Even a parked device "checks in" so the server knows it is alive. Our examples above already include hourly heartbeats, but some devices ping every minute.
- Remote access and logs. An engineer dialling in to read diagnostic logs can use more data in ten minutes than the device uses in a day.
Rule of thumb: take your measured figure and add 30–50% headroom. If the result is still under 500MB, the 500MB IoT SIM is a safe choice.
Why Multi-Network Matters More Than Megabytes on a Farm
A tracker with plenty of data but no signal is just an expensive paperweight.
Farms, quarries and rural sites are where UK mobile coverage is patchiest. One field might have strong EE, while the next has only O2 or Vodafone. A single-network SIM is stuck with one operator. A multi-network IoT SIM (sometimes called a roaming or steering SIM) can attach to another participating network when the first one is not available.
GleeSim's 500MB Multi-Network IoT SIM gives access to:
- At least four participating UK mobile networks
- At least two network options in each supported EU country, where roaming agreements allow
In plain words: if a tractor works near the Scottish Borders today and a contractor takes a harvester to France next month, the same SIM can keep reporting. More networks means fewer blind spots. It does not mean signal everywhere, so always check coverage where your machines actually work. Ofcom's mobile coverage checker is a good free starting point. Or send GleeSim your site postcodes and our team will check the local masts and recommend the strongest option.
Which GleeSim IoT SIM Fits Your Device? The 3-Step Ladder
GleeSim does not push one plan on everyone. Match the SIM to the job:
|
EE IoT SIM 500MB |
Multi-Network IoT SIM 500MB |
Drone eSIM 10GB |
|
|
Best for |
Trackers and EV chargers on fixed UK routes with good EE coverage |
Farm machinery, drones, trackers that roam rural UK and EU |
Photo and video uploads, survey drones |
|
Networks |
EE (single network), SMS enabled |
4+ UK networks, 2+ per EU country |
Multi-network UK & EU |
|
Data |
500MB/month |
500MB/month |
10GB/month |
|
Price (ex VAT, per SIM/month) |
£2.50 (24-month) – £2.90 (3-month) |
£3.25 (24-month) – £3.50 (3-month) |
£17.88 (24-month) – £19.99 (3-month) |
|
Minimum term |
3 months |
3 months |
3 months |
|
Link |
Prices are taken from GleeSim.co.uk product pages in October 2026 and exclude VAT and delivery. Always check the live product page before ordering.
Fleet maths for the Multi-Network 500MB SIM (3-month plan): 10 SIMs = £35/month · 50 SIMs = £175/month · 100 SIMs = £350/month. That is less than the cost of one recovery call-out for a single stolen machine.
Running 20+ devices? Ask GleeSim for a bespoke fleet quote →
How to Size Your IoT SIM in 4 Steps (Before You Buy 100 of Them)
- Find your message size. Ask the tracker or telematics maker, or check their platform's data report. If you do not know, use 1KB for trackers and 2KB for telematics.
- Count your messages. Messages per hour × hours on per day × 30.
- Add the extras. Firmware updates, heartbeats and remote access. Then add 30–50% headroom.
- Test one device for a full working month. Put one SIM in one real machine doing real work. Read the usage. Then multiply by your fleet size.
Why step 4 matters: a tracker tested on a desk for a day sends far less than one bouncing around a field at harvest time. Test in the real world, then scale.
Is 500MB Enough for an Agricultural Drone?
Yes for telemetry, no for video. A drone sending position, height, battery and status once a second uses roughly 40–50MB a month for normal farm work. That fits easily in 500MB. Uploading survey photos or streaming live HD video over the mobile network needs gigabytes, so step up to the 10GB Drone eSIM.
Before you fit any SIM, check three things:
- Does the drone have a cellular modem at all? Many drones use radio for control and video, and only use a SIM for tracking or telemetry.
- What SIM size does the modem take? Check if it needs a nano, micro or standard SIM.
- Which mobile technology does it support? Check for 4G LTE, LTE-M or other bands, and whether they match the networks in the area you fly.
For the full drone connectivity picture, read our parent guide: Drone SIM or Drone eSIM? How to Choose the Right UK & EU Connectivity.
Why UK Businesses Choose GleeSim for M2M and IoT Connectivity
GleeSim is a boutique UK telecom provider based in Livingston, Scotland. We design bespoke connectivity solutions for SMEs, corporates and enterprise customers, including:
- M2M and IoT SIMs for trackers, telematics, sensors, smart meters and EV chargers
- Multi-network and fixed IP SIMs for CCTV, remote access and secure VPN connections (why fixed IP matters)
- Mobile broadband (MBB) data SIMs and 4G/5G routers for sites, vans and offices
- Business mobile contracts, with or without handsets and hardware
The GleeSim team has 30 years' combined telecom experience. That means you speak to people who understand APNs, network steering and roaming agreements, not a script. Whether it is one tracker SIM or a 500-device rollout across the UK and EU, we size the plan with you before you commit.
Want to see how this fits a whole farm? Read GleeSim managed IoT connectivity for smart farming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much data does a GPS tracker use per month?
A tracker that reports once a minute, all day and night, typically uses around 40–45MB a month. Reporting every 10 seconds while moving uses roughly 100–110MB. Faster reporting, firmware updates and remote diagnostics push usage higher, so test one device before ordering a fleet.
Is 500MB enough for a GPS tracker?
For most trackers, yes. At one update per minute, a tracker uses less than a tenth of 500MB. Only trackers reporting every few seconds, 24/7, or sending photos are likely to go over.
How many MB does a tractor telematics unit use?
A telematics box sending engine and location data every 30 seconds for 12 hours a day uses roughly 80–90MB a month, at about 2KB per message. Large diagnostic file uploads add more, so check with the manufacturer.
Can a 500MB IoT SIM stream drone or CCTV video?
No. Live HD video uses roughly 1.8GB an hour, so 500MB lasts about 16 minutes. A 500MB SIM suits telemetry, tracking and occasional alert snapshots. For video, choose a 10GB plan or larger.
What is the difference between an IoT SIM and an M2M SIM?
They do the same job. M2M (machine-to-machine) is the older industry term. IoT (Internet of Things) is the newer one. Both mean a SIM made for devices talking to servers, not for people making calls.
Does a multi-network IoT SIM work everywhere in the UK and EU?
It gives your device more networks to choose from, which reduces blind spots. It does not guarantee signal in every location. Coverage depends on local masts, the device's modem and roaming agreements in each country.
Data plans should be sized by maths, not by guesswork. Most trackers, farm sensors, tractor telematics boxes and drone telemetry units use well under 100MB a month. That makes a 500MB IoT SIM the sensible, low-cost choice, with room to spare. If your device sends video or lots of photos, go bigger.
If your machines move between fields, regions or EU countries, multi-network matters as much as megabytes.
GleeSim's 500MB Multi-Network IoT SIM costs from £3.25 per SIM per month (ex VAT), covers at least four UK networks and runs across the EU. It is built for trackers, tractors and drones.
Order your 500MB Multi-Network IoT SIM → · Get a bespoke fleet quote →