BigFlyer

I just read an article about www.airalo.com and checked it out. They offer data-only esims for much of the world at prices lower than I've seen from other online esim providers - e.g., 1 GB in the UK for $2, 1 GB in Germany for $2.50, 4 GB South Korea for $10.

As a test, since I am in the US, I downloaded a 1 GB esim valid for 7 days for $3. It downloaded easily to my Pixel 3A using the provided QR code.

It has a UK ip address, I can watch UK Channel 4 on the phone when using the esim. It uses the AT&T network. The phone shows that the carrier is Telna roaming on AT&T.

Speedtest results were 73 mbps down, 32.7 mbps up, with a ping of 329 ms.

freecia

Looks like airalo is a reseller of Telna
https://www.telna.com/telna-launches...arcelona-2019/

Telna's "Buy Now" esim links to KnowRoaming which offers 1GB, 30 days for 9.99
https://www.telna.com/esim/
https://esim.knowroaming.co/?v=7516fd43adaa

BigFlyer

They may buy certain things from Telna but not a whole package - Airalo is much cheaper than Telna.

For example - 5 GB for 30 days is $49.99 on the Telna site, and $18 on the Airalo site.
5 GB for 30 days for France on the Telna site is $22.99 - but $18 on the Airalo site.

freecia

That suggests Telna to me? Not disputing airalo's price is attractive They could be negotiating a better deal with Telna. KnowRoaming could also have a higher markup.

It can be useful to know who is actually providing the roaming package in case there is a service outage or likelihood of shutting down. Several roaming sim providers have shut down or changed offerings over the (many) years, including Telna, so it is a relevant thing to note if you're going to keep it active or topped up. eSIM requires internet service to activate so if you have no wifi or cellular data then it is back to the drawing board. OTOH, obtaining an eSIM is usually quicker and easier than a physical sim so if existing eSIM expires it isn't a huge hassle to get a new one a few days before the next trip.
https://www.capacitymedia.com/articl...d-m2m-services
https://www.howardforums.com/showthr...f-Telna-Mobile

draver

This is very interesting and I think I'll also purchase a local plan for testing. I've downloaded the app and although the website is somewhat basic, it is well written and the layout is good, with clear instructions for purchase and setup. Quite refreshing compared to some cell roaming instructions I've tried to use.

I'm looking forward to using this a moderate amount if it is what it appears to be. Fingers Crossed...

Edited to add: I just installed the 1Gb USA ($3) esim on my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Very simple, & fast process. The ability to switch esims back and forth is amazing and takes only <10 seconds or so to have a functional signal with AT&T. I ran a few data speed tests and they were consistent with my usual speeds in the area, and the consumptiion was tracked almost in real time. I am very impressed and plan to continue testing until the data is depleted. A bit of advice for others. If you already have dual sims, I suggest call forwarding your current esim phone number to your second line before switching to the new, data only Airalo esim.

PackingIt

The ease is compelling, but having no real idea of what kind of coverage or speeds you'll get gives me pause.

BigFlyer

They allow you to buy 1 GB for many countries, so I suppose one could test before buying more data.

Given it was only $3, I bought a 1 GB US esim from them. I got 41.6 down and 13.6 up, 323 ms ping, ip address in UK (explains the big ping number.)

draver

I was also curious when I bought the $3 USA 1Gb data sim. I ran a few speed tests and the last one was 69Mbps down, and around 6Mbps up. That uses up data (Nearly 100Mb!), so I'm satisfied with the speed testing. I realize it will vary by country and carrier, but so does every other roaming data service we gamble on. The fact that they have AT&T as a roaming partner for the USA is encouraging, since it is a major carrier with very good national coverage. I'm looking forward to trying this in Europe and elsewhere as an alternative to several services I've used recently. I have also installed the $3 plan on my iPad Pro 11" and it works well there also. Easy Peasy purchase and setup is a real game changer compared to some others I've used. The App is simple and easy to understand without a lot of fluff, so you can find your way around in it without having to hunt.

BTW, Customer Service has been outstanding, they have replied to my emails quickly with concise info and understanding of my inquiries.

I always travel with a "Plan B", this will be my Plan A until it's been thoroughly tested and trusted.

BigFlyer

About 36 hours after I signed up, I received an email with a referral code. Apparently the referrer and referee each receive $5 in credit. I assume that posting a referral code here is against the rules (unless a moderator tells me it's OK top post I won't), but folks might want to bear in mind they will receive a referral code if they have friends or family that might want to sign up.

der_saeufer

I did the same on my work iPhone XR just for the heck of it (and so as not to use my employer's expensive roaming data to stream music in the rental car).

Same results--decent speed, long ping, IP address in UK but belongs to a block owned by OVH (a French cloud/hosting company).

One annoyance is that a few American websites' overzealous security blocks all foreign IP addresses. Having to VPN to check my EZPass transactions or look at a restaurant menu is annoying. But at $3 for a week of service I can very easily get over it. This will probably be my new solution for short trips to the US because it's cheaper than un-pausing Fi and no less reliable.

BigFlyer

But you can watch BBC Iplayer without using a VPN!

IslesFan

Bought a $3 1gb USA esim to mess around. Looks like it flips between a UK and a French IP. More importantly...
the sim is banned from accessing flyer talk...

draver

I’m not sure why you couldn’t gain access, but I just logged in to post this reply via Airalo.

Need

If I already have Google Fi on the esim, could I still download this to the esim and switch easily between the 2? I know I could easily switch between esim and physical sim but not sure if about 2 different carrier on one esim....

javabytes

Yes, you can have multiple eSIMs installed on your phone and easily turn them on and off, but you can only have one eSIM active at a time.