Unlimited data eSIMs: what they don’t tell you
Most “unlimited” eSIMs have a daily cap: once you pass it, your speed drops until the next day. Here is how they work, and why Glowi sells data by the GB.
How an “unlimited” plan works
It has a daily cap
Even when it is sold as unlimited, the plan includes a set amount of data per day at normal speed. This is called a “fair usage policy” (FUP).
Pass it and your speed drops
Until the next day, you browse at a reduced speed. On some plans it is 1 Mbps; on others, it is not even published.
What you don’t use, you lose
The cap resets every day. If you barely use any data one day, the unused allowance does not carry over.
Before you buy an “unlimited” plan, look for two figures: the daily cap and the speed after the cap. If you cannot find them, ask before you pay.
What you can do once you pass the cap
Usually fine
Text messages, email and following a route on a map.
A struggle
Good-quality video, uploading photos and videos, video calls or sharing data with your laptop. Exactly what you use most when travelling.
Real-world speed also depends on coverage and the local network in each area.
What we do
Most of our plans are by the GB: you use them at full speed, at your own pace, down to the last gigabyte. No daily cap, no slowdown halfway through the day, and whatever you don’t use today is still there tomorrow.
And yes, we also sell unlimited GB. In 18 destinations, a plan that works like any other “unlimited” plan: a daily allowance at top speed, then reduced speed. In Turkey it is 3 GB a day and 1 Mbps; in Japan, 2 GB a day and 256 Kbps. Each destination page shows its own figures.
Our problem was never that a daily cap exists. It is selling a plan as “unlimited” without saying what the cap is. That is why the daily allowance and the speed after it are shown on the destination page, next to the price, before you pay.
Which one suits you. If you are travelling for a week and use maps, messaging and a bit of social media, a plan by the GB usually works out cheaper. If you will stream a lot of video or share your data, an unlimited-GB plan means you don’t have to keep count. In some destinations ours costs more than the competition’s, and we won’t pretend otherwise.
How many GB do I need?
What people typically use
As a rough guide, 0.5 to 1.5 GB a day for maps, messaging and social media. A ten-day trip comes to 5 to 15 GB.
Doing the maths on “unlimited”
Multiply the daily cap by the number of days in your trip. With a 1 GB daily cap, ten days gives you at most 10 GB at normal speed, forced into daily portions.
An example with names and prices
Everything above, applied to a specific destination and a specific provider, with the prices each one publishes and the date we checked them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Glowi sell unlimited data eSIMs?
Yes, in some destinations, and with the daily allowance out in the open: each day you get a set amount of data at full speed and, once it’s used up, you keep browsing at a reduced speed until the next day. The allowance and that speed are on the destination page before you pay. The rest of our plans come with a set number of GB and a validity period. That data runs at full speed down to the last GB, with no daily cap.
What is a fair usage policy (FUP)?
It is the rule an “unlimited” plan uses to limit usage: after a certain amount of data each day, it reduces your speed until the next day. It is worth knowing that figure before you buy.
Isn’t unlimited better value if I use a lot of data?
It depends on the cap. Multiply the daily cap by the days in your trip: that is how many GB you will get at normal speed. Compare that figure with a fixed-data plan for the same destination.
Why does it matter where my traffic exits?
Some eSIMs route your traffic through Hong Kong, which can block some apps. Each destination page tells you which country your traffic goes out through.