Why roaming packages have become an anachronism in the age of app-first travel

Travelling in the modern day and age differs significantly from what it looked like a few short decades ago. Today, it is all about apps: you need applications for navigation, booking accommodation, buying tickets for events, following the local news, staying in touch with friends and family, and more. That also means that you depend on connectivity at all times while abroad.

The problem is that a lot of people still rely on traditional roaming, while the roaming model is out of date. You cannot choose a specific mobile internet plan that suits your travel plans. Instead, operators have split the world into zones, and each zone has its own pricing, limits, and permissions.

That is why many have turned to alternative ways of staying connected, and so far, the travel eSIM has emerged as the most practical solution. Companies like the Swiss eSIM pioneer, Yesim, have recognized the problem that travelers are facing and have come up with a solution. They let you pick a specific plan that will fit your trip. That way, you get to tailor your connectivity experience in advance. Furthermore, you even get to see the price in advance and know exactly what you will have to pay.

Home-operator roaming: Connectivity under outdated rules

The problem with roaming is that your home operator decides what your internet will be like abroad. When you try to book a flight or a hotel room, you will try to get the best deal possible. That means comparing providers, prices, any potential benefits that different providers offer, and the like. However, with roaming, you can't do any of that. The terms of your existing home contract still apply, and connectivity abroad just gets added to it.

That means that your operator decides what zones are available, what partner networks you can access, and, most importantly, how much they will charge you. You, as the user, can only accept their terms or choose to look for a different way to secure an internet connection. In other words, there is no flexibility and no participation on your end, you can only take it or leave it.

Take EE as an example - the official terms for their EE Travel Data pass for Canada and the US say that the user gets 500 MB of data per day. This is not nearly enough for someone who will depend on their phone for everything, from paying for food to comparing ticket prices and booking accommodation. The limit is the same for countless other countries, including Australia, China, India, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and the UAE.

It gets even worse for other countries, including Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Indonesia. For these, the daily allowance is only 150 MB. That essentially forces you to ration your data use very carefully and pick what you are going to use it for.

Some providers have introduced daily packages as a secondary roaming option. O2 Travel Bolt On roaming option for Pay Monthly customers charges 7 for every 24 hours of use. They start charging you as soon as you make a call, send a text, or use data for anything. It happens even if your phone updates an app automatically in the background, without you even knowing about it.

As a result, you get barely any connectivity, but still have to pay the full price of this deal. For some, that might be fine, but if you aren't aware of it, you can return home to a surprise bill that you now have to pay.

Travel eSIM as an alternative to roaming: Choice and control pass to the user

As mentioned, travel eSIM emerged as an alternative to the roaming model. The first thing to note about it is the difference between an eSIM and a travel eSIM.

An eSIM is a chip that is built into most modern smartphones, tablets, and similar devices. This chip allows users to install operator profiles offered by travel eSIM providers. This can be done remotely, without having to go to the provider's shop. It's as simple as downloading an app.

Travel eSIM uses this chip to create a digital service. That typically includes the provider's app, tariffs, partnered mobile networks, full control of your data, and even top-ups and customer support, should you need them.

The system is also quite practical, as you get to set up everything in advance. You don't have to wait to enter another country to secure your connectivity, but can instead do it from home before you leave on your trip. Start by checking your device's compatibility with eSIM technology. If it's compatible, you can download the operator's app, pick a package for the region you plan to visit, and install the appropriate profile. Then, sit on the plane, travel to your destination, and activate the profile when you get there. You get instant connectivity without having to stand in line at a SIM kiosk, rely on Wi-Fi coverage, or pay high roaming prices.

If you are still not sure if a travel eSIM is the right option, consider the following: A one-week trip from the UK to the US will have you paying 7 per day if you are an O2 Travel user. For seven days abroad, that will end up being 49. Alternatively, if you use Yesim's unlimited package for the US for seven days, the price is only 18.27 as of the time of writing. You buy it upfront, and it won't activate until you start using it after arriving at your destination.

Travel eSIM fits the app-first logic of travel

When selecting a plan, you start with the trip itself. In other words, you click on the country or region that you plan to visit. You can also enter the length of your stay there, and how much data you expect you will need. Then, select a tariff to match the parameters.

All terms of the deal will be known to you in advance, including the country that is covered by the plan, how long the plan will last, how much data you get, and how much it all costs. Best of all, everything is managed in the app, so you don't really have to get in contact with anyone.

A package can be selected for a single country, an entire region, or a route that includes several countries. You prepare all of this at home, and activate it after arrival. You even get to keep your home number active, since you don't have to replace your SIM card. That way, any banking messages, service notifications, important calls, 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) texts, and the like can come through and reach you at any time.

Yesim: The Swiss standard for travel connectivity

If you need a travel eSIM provider, consider the Swiss company Yesim. The firm has been in the travel eSIM market since 2019, becoming one of the pioneers in this sector. Today, it provides connectivity to over 4 million users across 200+ destinations. For travelers, this means that they can rely on one service that they are familiar with regardless of whether they are going on a short holiday in one country or a lengthy, complex trip that will include multiple nations.

Yesim's position as a global provider of connectivity services is also reflected in the fact that the company has become an official partner of the World Players Super League - the largest golf tour in the world. The League holds over 1,800 tournaments in more than 50 countries every year, and is one of the largest events of this kind.

The same global scale is evident in Yesim's pricing options. The firm offers a flexible tariff range, especially when it comes to its most popular packages. For example, the Global Package covers 80+ countries, while the Global Plus Package covers 140+ destinations. These will likely suit those who tend to travel a lot and want to pay a fixed budget. But, if your data needs are unpredictable, you can always pick the Pay & Fly tariff - Yesim's pay-as-you-go model. This is a single eSIM for 170+ countries, and you only pay for the data that you actually used.

Yesim's offer is known for the ease and simplicity of connection. The firm has created an intuitive app where you simply pick a country or a region, install the profile, and activate it in a few taps after getting there. Plus, the app uses automatic network selection. This is possible thanks to SwitchLess Networks technology, which switches the user to the strongest available network at any given time. This is especially important for remote locations, where connectivity is usually unstable, but it can also come in handy for mass events, when the network may struggle to cope with tens of thousands of connections at once.

Yesim also offers the Multiple eSIMs feature, which helps you manage several profiles from a single account. This is convenient for those traveling with their family or a small group. You can even test its service with a trial plan that gives you 500 MB for a symbolic price of 0.45. That way, you can see how it all works for yourself before committing any real money. Lastly, Yesim offers a 15 percent discount to new users who use promocode GETYESIM15, so make sure to use it.

Conclusion

Since modern travel has evolved and is now an app-first experience, the old roaming model is no longer a good fit for an average traveler. Instead, travel eSIMs give tourists the freedom to choose their location, amount of data, and even to know the cost upfront. Yesim is a prime example of the fact that the travel eSIM model works and that it can satisfy the needs of modern-day travellers.

"For Yesim, freedom of connectivity is a fundamental human right that helps people stay close, communicate, and share meaningful moments in spite of distance," emphasizes the company's founder and CEO, Dmitri Verbovski.

Contributed by Yesim