Travel eSIM Market Continues to Fly

Anyone who follows my blogs or social media posts knows I take a keen interest in travel eSIM. Last year, I wrote an in-depth Spotlight report, hosted a dedicated webinar (the replay is available here) and presented on the topic to several clients.

It also featured in CCS Insight’s annual research of UK consumers, where we explored people’s awareness and usage of the topic. Clients can access the survey here; non-clients can see a snapshot of the findings in this press release.

Travel eSIM is a fascinating and fast-growing area of the market that brings together players from inside and outside the mobile industry. This includes telecom operators, device-makers, specialist providers, aggregators and enablers, travel companies and other organizations.

As it continues to rise up the telecom agenda, here are some of the travel eSIM stories that have caught my eye in the past few months.

Telefonica’s Travel eSIM Service Reaches 100,000 Users

In mid-2025, Telefonica followed European rivals Orange and Vodafone in offering a travel eSIM service. Branded eSIM Flag and launched through the company’s Global Solutions arm, it was Telefonica’s response to growing momentum from specialist providers like Airalo and Holafly.

All plans come with unlimited mobile data, including tethering, which is an important differentiator compared with other offers. However, voice and SMS aren’t yet included.

Telefonica said that customers have used the service for a combined 660,000 days as of mid-January, with the most common usage period lasting four to 10 days. The countries with highest usage are, in order: Andorra, the US, Turkey, the UK, Switzerland, Argentina, Mexico, Egypt, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. This reflects popular tourist destinations outside the EU, for which roaming is now usually included as part of domestic plans.

Reaching 100,000 customers within six months is a creditable achievement. It suggests that customers are happy to take a travel eSIM from a telecom operator, despite customer resentment and distrust in the industry caused by exorbitant roaming charges in the past.

Holafly Claims World’s First Permanent Global Data Plan

In December, Holafly announced a $64.90-per-month plan promising global coverage, unlimited data — including a personal hot spot — and a local phone number to receive SMS messages.

It’s aimed at regular travellers who want to avoid the hassle of downloading a separate eSIM for each trip or country visited and to be rewarded for committing to a single provider. This is important given the wide range of very similar offers on the market, which makes it hard for providers to stand out.

There is also a light plan, priced at $49.90 per month with 25 GB of data. Both offer the opportunity to cancel at any time.

Some of the details are sketchy, however. For example, it’s not clear if there are any fair usage policies and whether 5G is included by default where available.

This service could mark the start of a trend away from the dominant prepaid model, which discourages loyalty by enabling customers to easily chop and change who they sign up to.

Airalo Claims Belgian MVNO Launch

As travel eSIM is rapidly commoditized, some larger players are considering diversifying in pursuit of new growth opportunities. I was interested to read that Airalo now considers itself to be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Belgium, where it has integrated its billing support system into the core network of its host, Telenet. Airalo says it already has a similar set-up in over 20 other countries, giving it the ability to control, manage and bill traffic, similarly to other virtual providers. It claims to have a “truly local Belgian eSIM” that includes a +32 phone number for voice and SMS, alongside mobile data.

However, it isn’t positioning itself as a direct competitor to domestic providers and there’s no dedicated Belgian web page to sign up to the service. Customers must simply use the same global travel eSIM interface as they would when travelling to any other country. Furthermore, plans are only available up to a maximum of 30 days. It’s hard to see Airalo taking much share from established Belgian rival operators, but the move could form a step toward a more assertive push in the future. I’ll continue to follow it with interest.

Nomad eSIM Secures LED Advertising Slots at Almost 200 Premier League Games

Travel eSIM providers haven’t engaged in much marketing so far. But as competition ramps up, a higher profile could help companies to stand out among dozens of rivals offering a similar service.

Focusing on sport could be clever: fans go to great lengths to travel to matches and frequently post to social media or share their experiences while on trips. Vodafone’s partnership with the Champions League appears to have a similar aim.

Nomad estimates that its pitch-side presence will reach a global television audience of more than 70 million viewers. This could be effective in building its brand.

Heathrow Airport Names SIM Local as Its Official eSIM Partner

This is a major win for SIM Local: Heathrow is the sixth busiest airport by passenger traffic and served about 85 million customers in 2025.

By integrating its services directly into the travel sector, SIM Local is getting closer to its customers, offering connectivity at the point they need it the most. It represents a new distribution channel in an increasingly competitive market where most promotions are delivered online.

For Heathrow Airport, the partnership is another step on its digital transformation journey, following the industry’s move to online ticket sales and electronic boarding passes. To continue to attract customers, airports must invest in offering the most seamless passenger experience possible.

Learn more about how travel eSIM is reshaping the roaming market, including our forecasts for adoption, pricing and consumer spending in Spotlight: Travel eSIM, 2025.