Travel E Sim will Change Everything
A new Spotlight Report from CCS Insight highlights a major shift in the mobile industry: the rapid rise of travel eSIMs, a development that could dramatically reshape the traditional roaming business long dominated by telecom operators.
For decades, roaming has been a dependable source of profit for carriers—and frustration for travelers facing steep post-trip bills.
While Europe’s 2017 Roam Like at Home regulation eliminated fees within the EU, high roaming costs persist elsewhere.
The emergence of eSIM technology—a built-in digital alternative to physical SIM cards—is changing that landscape.
With Apple’s iPhone 14 and 15 in the U.S. now eSIM-only, and Google, Samsung, and other manufacturers adopting similar strategies, the shift toward digital-only connectivity is accelerating.
This has opened the door to a wave of new players—such as Airalo, Holafly, Kolet, Nomad, and Ubigi—offering instant, low-cost data plans that undercut traditional roaming by as much as 80%.
CCS Insight forecasts that global travel eSIM subscriptions will surge from 70 million in 2024 to more than 280 million by 2030, driving market revenue from $1.3 billion to over $4.4 billion.
“Travel eSIMs are redefining how consumers connect abroad,” said a CCS Insight analyst. “Traditional operators must adapt fast—rethinking their roaming strategies and embracing a more global, digital-first mindset.”
Some leading carriers, including Vodafone and Orange, have already launched their own travel eSIM products. However, many still face the challenge of balancing short-term revenue with long-term customer loyalty.
As the market matures, CCS Insight predicts consolidation, with established operators expected to leverage their scale, customer relationships, and network assets to regain ground from today’s digital-first challengers.
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