GoMo introduces roaming eSim

Although it has significantly lessened in recent years, roaming costs can turn a great holiday into an expensive one. 

Going over your allocated data allowance can rack up the bills quickly, especially if travelling outside of the EU or in a country with expensive data costs.  

Phones and internet data have become an integral part of travelling, whether it be searching the best restaurants or directions on Google Maps, or serving as a stable internet connection for streaming if WiFi coverage is spotty.  

GoMoWorld aims to cut this down, with a downloadable eSim that connects to a local partner network to give you the same data costs as locals. There are 129 different countries to choose from, ensuring most, if not all, of your non-EU travel destinations are covered. 

Plans start from €3.99, and as it’s an electronic sim, there’s no chopping and changing of physical sim cards.  

How does GoMo World work?  

For GoMoWorld to work, you first need a device that has eSim capabilities. Most modern phones have this, but if your device is old, it may not work.  

Upon downloading the app, it will tell you whether or not your phone is able to be equipped with an eSim, meaning you don’t have to go rooting through your phone settings.  

As provided by GoMo, the current devices that are able to be connected are:  

But, more and more phones are going to have this capability in the near future.  

When in the app (and assuming your phone is eSim capable), you simply select your destination country, choose a data plan and download your eSim onto your device. Then, when you arrive in your travel location, just activate the sim and get browsing.  

What is an eSim?  

An eSim aims to replace physical sim cards in new technology.  

First implemented in 2016, eSims are chips installed directly into a device, removing the need for a removable, PVC card commonly associated with sim cards.   

These eSims aren’t used exclusively for phones - they are embedded in mobile WiFi routers, electronic tablets and, as of 2018, all new cars sold in the EU. This means that a car can contact emergency services instantly in the case of an accident or emergency.  

This new technology has a number of benefits for consumers, namely that operators can be added and removed without the need to buy and replace physical sim cards from a device.  

It also opens up the possibility of using mobile services on a number of devices that weren’t traditionally designed for such use. The provision of a sim card that is integrated within the design of the device also removes the need for a physical sim card slot, which can lead to mobile capabilities for smaller devices. 

Is roaming not free?  

Yes, but only in EU countries.  

This has been the case since 2017, when the Roam Like at Home (RLAH) legislation was introduced, which ensured that EU citizens pay domestic rates for mobile charges all across the EU (as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).  

This includes calls, text and data charges. Roaming data allocations are normally a certain percentage of a user’s fair use data allowance, but it is normally sufficient for a short trip.  

There are also limits set by the EU on how much an operator can charge upon a user who goes over their roaming data allowance. 

However, outside of the EU this gets a bit more tricky. Mobile operators are free to charge as much as they like for roaming charges, with no international regulation existing yet which can lessen this cost for consumers. 

This is also the case for travellers to the UK ever since it left the EU - they are no longer obliged to follow the RLAH, although some operators have kept up the process.  

Roaming will remain free in the EU until at least 2032, with the RLAH being given a ten-year extension in April 2022.  How much data do I need?  

It can be hard to figure out how much data we may need before a trip. This can come down to personal preference, or if you’re using your data for work purposes or more data-heavy activities like streaming.  

For a rough guide, this is how much data certain tasks take up: 

• Sending 1 email: 20KB
• 1 social media update (with photo): 350KB
• Instant messaging for 1 hour: 1MB
• 1 hour of web browsing: 10MB
• Streaming 1 hour of music: 28MB
• Downloading one app: 40MB
• Streaming 1 hour of video: 117MB

If you’re looking for some great broadband and phone deals, check out our broadband, phone and TV comparison tool. Here you can find some great mobile deals alongside broadband packages, most of which feature unlimited data.  

Get in touch  

Planning a trip away and worried about roaming charges? Let us know! You can reach us on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.