Travel eSIMs Surges 85 Percent in 2025 as a Roaming Alternative

A new study by Juniper Research has found that revenue from travel embedded SIM (eSIM) packages will reach $1.8 billion by the end of 2025, growing 85% from $989 million in 2024. This monumental single-year growth is driven by the increasing cost-effectiveness of travel eSIM packages, offering subscribers an attractive alternative to traditional mobile roaming services.

The report attributed the growing value proposition of travel eSIMs to heightened competition in the market. This competition has been driven by diminished entry barriers and enabled by Connectivity-as-a-Service platforms, which simplify infrastructure and service management, allowing businesses to launch travel eSIM offerings quickly. As a result, to capitalize on accelerating consumer adoption, travel eSIM providers must increasingly differentiate their services both through pricing and offering value-added features.

In 2026, Juniper Research expects more network operators to introduce their own travel eSIM offerings to complement existing roaming services, providing subscribers with options for both prepaid and postpaid international connectivity. As a growing number of providers enter the space, launching their own travel eSIMs will become critical for mobile operators to retain roaming revenue and avoid losing market share to third-party providers.

“As third parties increasingly integrate themselves in the telecoms sphere, it will be pivotal in 2026 that operators launch their own travel eSIM services to compete and retain as much revenue as possible from mobile roaming,” said Molly Gatford, Senior Research Analyst at Juniper Research.