Airalo shows eSIM adoption is on the rise with 20 million users

Dylan Crismale - Digital Content Editor

Last updated 29 April 2025

Airalo has celebrated a major milestone with 20 million users taking up eSIM technology.

Airalo co-founder and CEO, Ahmet Bahadir Ozdemir said “Reaching 20 million users is more than a business milestone—it’s a clear signal that the world is ready for a more sustainable way to stay connected,"

eSIM or an embedded SIM is an option that can replace the traditional physical SIM card on your smartphone or act as a secondary SIM on the one device.

Traditional physical SIM cards are made of plastic. A 2024 study found that the equivalent of 20,000 tonnes of plastic is used in the production of single-use SIMs each year. Compared to a traditional SIM card, eSIM production emits 46% less Carbon Dioxide over the lifespan of the product.

“Every eSIM activation represents less plastic waste, fewer carbon emissions, and a step toward a greener planet," Ozdemir said.

eSIM has more benefits than just being better for the environment. Because they're fully digital, you can get signed up with a new telco here in Australia in a matter of minutes or sign up with an online provider such as Airalo to have connectivity overseas.

It's one less thing travellers have to worry about when they land in a new destination. You can get set up online before you board the plane and know you'll have connectivity once you land – so long as you're phone has the capability. eSIM is far from universal yet because it's still not widely supported on new mid-range and budget devices.

A spokesperson for Airalo said "eSIM adoption has been growing steadily thanks to a mix of device compatibility, regional demand, and key partnerships with global telecom providers.

"Regions like Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America have been early adopters because of high outbound travel rates and wide eSIM support on devices like iPhones, Google Pixels, and newer Samsungs"

eSIM providers like Airalo are proving competitive compared to traditional roaming options for international travellers.

While local international roaming options have improved, most telcos have a limited number of packages with different expiry dates. Vodafone is one of a few exceptions. Its postpaid customers can utilise the telco's roaming option for $5 a day which allows access to your full plan inclusions. Optus similarly offers roaming from $5 per day for 5GB of data.

But depending on your data needs and frequency of travel, you could be better off signing up to a cheaper prepaid plan and getting a travel eSIM like those Airalo offers for less.

For example, if you were travelling to Japan for two weeks, where public WiFi is readily available you could likely get by with an Airalo SIM that has 15-day expiry and 2GB of data for $10.50. If you wanted 10GB of data at minimum, you could get Airalo's $29 SIM which has 30-day expiry.

Even with Vodafone's or Optus' leading $5 a day options, you're looking at spending a minimum of $70 for 14-days on top of plan fees.

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Dylan Crismale

Digital Content Editor

Dylan Crismale is a Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut, has been writing for almost a decade across a variety of Australian publications. He previously worked as a writer at Finder covering energy, internet and mobile plans. Dylan is passionate about finding the best deals to save people money and educating people about tech. When he's not sat at his desk Dylan loves working out, bingeing TV and hanging out with friends.

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