Yorkshire’s eSIM solution cuts global roaming bills for UK travellers

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, international travel gradually returned to normal for British travellers Researchers found that British travellers venturing beyond Europe are most often going to North America (18%), Asia (12%), Africa (10%), Oceania (7%), and the Middle East (7%).

However, they soon discovered shockingly high international roaming charges in popular destinations, such as the US, Canada, UAE, Thailand, Japan, and more. Even those who travelled across EU nations and EEA countries became aware of high connectivity costs for post-Brexit Brits, who lost free roaming privileges as of January 1, 2021.

The hidden expenses of international connectivity

Major UK carriers each offer network roaming schemes for citizens of the UK travelling outside the EU, but this often comes at a high cost. Vodafone charges £17 for 8 days to use your UK plan in 74 nations including the US, while EE charges £1.54 per minute for roaming outside of the UK if you choose Pay As You Go.

There have been reports of British travellers coming back from holidays or work trips outside the EU, only to receive unexpected bills for thousands of pounds from their mobile providers One Reddit user complained that EE charged them over £12,000 after a 16-day trip abroad. A similar story saw a politician using data on holiday, only to receive a bill of £7,000 upon return.

The daily roaming passes often fall short of users’ actual needs when it comes to international internet use, as in this day and age, we simply rely on it for everything, from navigation, communication, bookings, translations and more.

Why do traditional connectivity solutions fall short for Yorkshire’s international travellers?

Many are trying to think ahead and make plans to use international roaming alternatives to avoid roaming charges abroad, but those solutions often fall short of what is expected.

UK carrier travel passes, for example, can be costly, they don’t always cover all your needs and might not provide services for all destinations on your trip. Some buy SIM cards at airport kiosks, which can also come at a high cost, although it can be convenient depending on your destination. Local SIMs also come with language barriers, ID requirements and time constraints, while depending on free WiFi can leave you with security risks and low availability in some places.

If you were to go on a business trip to the USA and limit your daily usage to 500MB to 1GB (email, maps, browsing, file uploads, calls) you would still need 5-10GB for a 10-day trip. With traditional providers, this could cause high costs.

Many have expressed dissatisfaction after learning that their carriers’ fees are not as transparent as they believed them to be.

Digital solutions for Yorkshire’s global connectivity needs

While traditional travel connectivity solutions have failed many, travellers might find eSIM technology to be a much better option.

eSIM is a form of SIM card that is embedded directly into devices as software that you can install. They come with a number of advantages, such as being able to activate them before you even leave Yorkshire. They offer multiple profiles for frequent travellers and seamless country transitions, and since they come in the form of software, you don’t have to deal with physical SIM swapping.

For example, if you're travelling from the UK to the US with Vodafone, the roaming charges depend on your plan. If your Pay Monthly plan includes 83 worldwide destinations, then roaming in the US is free up to 25GB of data per month. Otherwise, you’ll be charged £7.86 per day (or £6 if your plan was purchased before 11 August 2021) to use your UK data, minutes and texts in the US. For Pay As You Go customers, you can buy a Roaming Extra, such as an 8-day pass for £12 or a 15-day pass for £20, each including 3GB of data, 100 minutes and 200 texts.

However, there are options like Yesim which offers 500 MB lasting for 3 days for £0.45 as its cheapest plan, going up to £18 for 30GB (at the time of writing) lasting 30 days. These are its prepaid data plans, but you can also pick one of slightly more expensive unlimited data plans, the cheapest of which lets you use unlimited data for a day for £1.80, up to £52.50 for unlimited data lasting 30 days.

Yesim has emerged as one of the most popular modern choices, thanks to its coverage in over 200 destinations, making it a common choice for travellers. It has over a million users worldwide, and with over 1k ratings, its Trustpilot score sits at 4.3. It uses SwitchLess Networks technology for optimal connection and offers a free VPN for iOS users. Setup is simple, allowing even non-tech-savvy users to activate and manage their plan.

A Yorkshire traveler’s guide to implementing eSIM solutions

To set up your Yesim eSIM, follow these steps:

- Check device compatibility by going to Settings > About, and then look for eSIM or Digital SIM

- - Download the Yesim app, buy your plan, and install it before departure, be it Leeds Bradford Airport or otherwise

- -Track and manage data usage across different time zones

- Avoid public WiFi and rely on your Yesim data and a VPN to stay safe abroad

Business travellers to the US will find that Yesim will enable reliable connection to Zoom and their Yorkshire office with a £18.90 offering unlimited data for seven days (valid at the time of writing). Families can buy share plans which may be cheaper than roaming with multiple UK SIMs. Thanks to ease of use, even older people can set things up with a single tap.

Understanding the limitations of global connectivity solutions

Using eSIM for international travel may come with certain limitations. One common issue is device compatibility, meaning that it may not work with older devices. The company has a list of supported devices, such as various Samsung Galaxy and iPhone models, as well as Motorola, Huawei, and Google Pixel phones.

First-time users may also encounter a bit of a learning curve but ultimately the setting up will take up mere minutes. Finally, it is fair to say that there are situations where traditional solutions and their global data plans might be preferable. Roaming schemes can be useful for short one- or two-day trips, local SIMs might be a good option if you are staying abroad for a long time, and WiFi, if trusted and combined with security tools like VPNs, can be a reliable alternative.

Keeping Yorkshire connected across the globe

If you need to travel and you need USA travel connectivity or Asia mobile internet, eSIMs have proven to be a much more manageable option in many cases. They often offer lower cost, more data, ease of use, greater security, and other discussed benefits.

Download an eSIM like Yesim before your next trip and travel without the stress of roaming bills.