When spending time abroad abroad, making calls and accessing data largely used to mean one of two things: buying a local SIM card and fumbling around changing between these on the go, or accepting to stump up for roaming charges to access minutes through your home network provider.
The former solution isn’t ideal for a number of reasons. For one, working to change between tiny SIM cards isn’t easy or convenient for anyone. This also puts the risk of losing your original SIM card on the table, a particular problem when we remember that everything from our list of contacts to access to banking apps relies on access to this. Purchasing a new card can also become a pain when traveling across multiple countries, especially in a relatively small geographical area like Europe.
Meanwhile, the latter is prohibitive for most of us. While the costs of roaming charges vary between network providers and how far-flung the travel destinations are, paying to use your own call plan on a daily basis when abroad is a major sore point for travelers. Roaming charges are also much higher than they used to be, leaving consumers to foot bills that far exceed the actual cost of data usage.
To illustrate, a study of 2,000 mobile phone users from the UK found that 63% are confused by the cost of using their phone abroad, with 59% of these not knowing how much data they use.
However, eSIMs have risen to the fore in recent years as a solution to these connectivity woes, and offer network providers a way to tap into growth with new product offerings. Sim Local and Lyca Mobile have recently announced a new partnership, marking the continued growth of this trend.
Launched in the UK in 2006, Lyca Mobile heralded a new era in international telecom by bridging people across the world at great prices, with 16 million customers in 22 countries.
Given that the global number of travel eSIM users is predicted to grow from 40 million in 2024 to over 215 million by 2028, the new partnership between this pioneering network provider and Sim Local, the leading global eSim platform, ensures that Lyca stays ahead of the pack.
The partnership also represents the first e-commerce retail partnership outside its own D2C business, in a major move for the industry.
Frank Wiemann, CMO of Lyca Mobile, explained: “Since our inception in 2006, Lyca Mobile’s mission has been to connect people globally at affordable prices. Partnering with Sim Local allows us to expand our offering into the fast-growing eSIM market, providing our customers with even more flexible and convenient connectivity options. We’re excited to work with Sim Local, a leader in the travel connectivity space, as we continue to innovate and grow our services for international travellers.”
Lyca Mobile’s high data plans will be offered as a regional eSIM option in the UK, France, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, bringing its reputation for great value to customers in a new way.
Sim Local caters to global travelers and allows them to avoid expensive roaming charges by opting to use one of its great-value data packs delivered through regional providers.
The company sells SIM cards and downloadable eSIMs direct to customers through local retail stores, kiosks, vending machines, its mobile application, and through its online store.
Said Laura Bullock, Head of Commercial at Sim Local, “The continued growth of Sim Local is made possible by offering our customers a variety of international eSIM options at a range of prices to suit every type of traveler.”
“Partnering with Lyca Mobile allows us to bring even more options to our customers that offer unlimited data packs at great prices”, added the executive.
Sim Local provides affordable eSIM deals with a range of options to suit different use cases, from digital nomads spending months in a new city, to business executives who need secure, reliable data for their work trip or avid sightseers who want to share their snaps online instantly.
The rise of Sim Local in global destinations is thanks to solid partnerships within the telecoms industry, further bolstered by the new addition of Lyca Mobile and its data plans to the platform.
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