Optus research says a third of Aussies now use travel eSIMs

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 30 July 2025

Approximately a third of Australians have used a travel eSIM to stay connected overseas, according to research commissioned by Optus. The survey asked over 1,000 Australians who have travelled abroad in the last two years about international connectivity and pain points.

International roaming was still the most popular form of on-the-go connectivity while travelling, with 48.1% respondents stating they'd used it. This was followed by 38.7% of respondents saying they'd bought a local SIM, and 32.3% buying a travel eSIM. Respondents were allowed to select more than one option.

While travel eSIM was slightly less popular than buying a local SIM, eSIM is a much newer technology. The first phones with eSIM support were the iPhone XS and iPhone XR in 2018, and even now, it still isn't common across more affordable handsets. Airalo - one of the most popular travel eSIM provider options - was established in 2019.

When it came to pain points, cost was noted by respondents as a reason they avoided these three options. 61.8% of respondents thought international roaming is too expensive, but this dropped to 30.1% for a local SIM and 23.7% for a travel eSIM.

In a media release accompanying the research, Optus pointed to its $5 per day roaming as an affordable, predictable option. Customers are billed $5 per day per 5GB of data, each day they're overseas. This is similar to Vodafone's approach, but with Vodafone, customers tap into the same data they use in Australia, rather than purchasing data just for overseas usage.

Telstra is more expensive in most locations, charging $10 per day for 2GB. There are some countries, such as New Zealand, where Telstra only bills $5 per day.

Of course, $5 per day can quickly add up on longer trips. Two weeks in Europe would come to a total of $70 on both Optus and Vodafone, while you can buy a 10GB European eSIM from Airalo for $58.50. There's also a cheap $31.50 option with 5GB. Airalo also has cheaper travel eSIMs for those visiting just one destination in Europe.

Notably, Airalo is one of the more expensive travel eSIM options. Jetpac - backed by Circles.Life - tends to be a bit cheaper. Jetpac's 10GB travel eSIM for Europe costs $41 at current exchange rates.

Orange - one of Europe's biggest telcos - has its own holiday eSIMs. Its €21.99 Holiday Europe SIM (approximately $39 at current exchange rates) comes with 12GB, 30 minutes of international talk, and 200 text messages, with a 14-day expiry. Many other travel eSIMs don't include any talk and text. In most cases, plans from providers like Airalo and Jetpac are data-only.

International connectivity is one of the trickier parts of telco. There is a simplicity to finding a plan with a good deal on international roaming, especially for those who need to use their Australian number overseas. Options like $5 roaming are also great for those who need a few hours of connectivity during a layover on the way to their final destination. But while slightly more complicated, travel eSIMs and local eSIMs can end up being a better deal.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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