eSIMSift
network map 50 destinations 117 host networks

Which Local Networks Do Travel eSIMs Use? Full Map

Your eSIM's coverage and speed follow the local host carrier it rides — not the brand on the voucher. Find your destination for the exact hosts, the cited tester verdicts and the cheapest plan riding them.

50Destinations mapped
117Host networks profiled
44Independent reports cited

The one finding that matters

At this check every provider on this site rides the same host networks in each destination — they resell local carrier capacity, so the brand you pick changes the price, the app and the support line, not the mast your phone pings. Judge the network here, then let the country page decide the brand on price alone.

The short answer

What decides your eSIM's network

Which network will my plan use?

The local host carrier of your destination — the brand on the voucher never changes it. In Japan that is NTT Docomo, SoftBank or KDDI; in Spain, Movistar, Vodafone, Orange or Yoigo.

Do all brands use the same network?

At this check, yes — all 8 brands we track list identical hosts in all 50 destinations. They resell local carrier capacity, so coverage is a destination question, not a brand question.

Does the network matter more than the brand?

Yes for coverage and speed, because both follow the host. The brand decides price, plan shape, install route and support — which is why the same host can carry a cheap plan and a dear one.

Where do I see measured speeds?

In the cited verdicts: 44 of 50 destinations carry a named Opensignal report, and every destination links to Ookla's live Global Index. We quote them rather than measure them.

The decision

How to pick between host networks

Because the hosts are shared across providers, your decision has two steps: pick the destination's best-fitting host profile for what you will actually do, then find the cheapest plan riding it on the country page.

Road trips and rural routes

Coverage beats raw speed. 36 of the 117 host networks on this map are described in their profiles as covering rural, mountain or island areas — in those destinations, prefer plans riding them and check the country page for the per-network strengths.

4K streaming and hotspot work

35 of 117 profiled hosts sustain a typical floor of 25 Mbps or better — enough for 4K video and video calls. A further 77 sit in the 10-25 Mbps HD band. Cities rarely differentiate; rural areas do.

City breaks on a budget

In major metros every host on this map is fast enough for maps, messaging and streaming — so price decides. Jump to the country comparison and buy the cheapest verified plan.

Carrier groups

Which host networks cross borders

Of the 117 host networks behind the destinations on this map, 9 appear in more than one country — the carrier groups whose networks keep carrying you as you cross a border. That is the lever a regional plan pulls, and the reason one plan can cover a whole trip.

Vodafone

12 destinations

Europe · Oceania

AustraliaCzechiaGermanyGreeceIcelandIrelandItalyNetherlandsPortugalSpainTurkiyeUnited Kingdom

Movistar

6 destinations

Americas · Europe

ArgentinaColombiaCosta RicaMexicoPeruSpain

Claro

5 destinations

Americas

ArgentinaBrazilColombiaCosta RicaPeru

Orange

4 destinations

Europe

BelgiumFrancePolandSpain

O2

3 destinations

Europe

CzechiaGermanyUnited Kingdom

T-Mobile

3 destinations

Americas · Europe

CzechiaPolandUnited States

China Telecom

2 destinations

Asia

ChinaMacao

TIM

2 destinations

Americas · Europe

BrazilItaly

Three

2 destinations

Europe

IrelandUnited Kingdom

And the 108 single-market hosts

The remaining host networks serve one destination each — national carriers such as KDDI in Japan, Telstra in Australia or STC in Saudi Arabia. They matter for exactly the same reason: coverage and speed in that country follow them. Find your destination below to see which of them your plan connects to.

Destination by destination

Which host networks carry each destination

Every card below is fully on the page: the host networks and their typical bands, the cited Opensignal and Ookla findings with links to the originals, and the cheapest plan riding those hosts. Filter by region or search by name.

Asia

13 destinations Most-shared host China Telecom in 2 of 13 destinations Asia eSIM guide →
China flag China 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
China Mobile 5G25–300 Mbps China Telecom 5G20–250 Mbps China Unicom 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

No named Opensignal report covers this destination yet — Ookla's mobile index still tracks the market month by month.

Open China on Ookla's Global Index →

169 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare China eSIM plans →
Hong Kong flag Hong Kong 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.57
3HK 5G20–300 Mbps CSL 5G25–400 Mbps SmarTone 5G20–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • CMHK (China Mobile HK) won Download Speed outright with 88.7 Mbps and 5G Download Speed with 171.7 Mbps, on the way to the biggest haul of the cycle — 7 outright plus 5 joint awards.
  • CMHK also won 5G Coverage Experience and shared overall Coverage with CSL (8.97 vs 8.95 out of 10).
  • Time on Network is near-universal everywhere: 3 Hong Kong 99.5%, CSL and SmarTone 99.3% — a statistical tie.

Source: Hong Kong, May 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, May 2026.

Open Hong Kong on Ookla's Global Index →

153 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Hong Kong eSIM plans →
India flag India 5G 2 carrier networks from $0.51
Airtel 5G25–300 Mbps Jio 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Jio won Download Speed outright with 107.3 Mbps — nearly double Airtel's 58.2 — plus 5G Download Speed with 198.9 Mbps.
  • Jio also won Coverage (9.1 out of 10 vs Airtel's 7.5) and Time on Network at 99.4%.

Source: India, February 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, February 2026.

Open India on Ookla's Global Index →

154 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare India eSIM plans →
Indonesia flag Indonesia 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Indosat 5G10–150 Mbps Telkomsel 5G10–150 Mbps XL Axiata 5G10–150 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • XL won Download Speed outright with about 40.9 Mbps, 43.5% faster than in the previous report.
  • XL's 5G download jumped from 48.2 to 135.4 Mbps after its merger with Smartfren, and its award count rose significantly.

Source: Indonesia, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Open Indonesia on Ookla's Global Index →

153 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Indonesia eSIM plans →
Japan flag Japan 5G 3 carrier networks from $1.99
KDDI 5G20–250 Mbps NTT Docomo 5G25–300 Mbps SoftBank 5G15–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • SoftBank won Download Speed outright with 65.1 Mbps; NTT docomo won Coverage (9.0 out of 10) and 5G Download Speed (159.1 Mbps).
  • au led the national award count with 10 sole wins and 1 joint win.

Source: Japan, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Ookla named SoftBank the fastest mobile network in Japan for H1 2026, with a median download of 73.8 Mbps ahead of au at 67.9 — and a median 5G download of 153.6 Mbps ahead of Rakuten Mobile.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-08.

Open Japan on Ookla's Global Index →

177 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Carrier breakdown → Compare Japan eSIM plans →
Malaysia flag Malaysia 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Celcom 5G20–250 Mbps DiGi 5G15–200 Mbps Maxis 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • U Mobile won Download Speed outright with 107.1 Mbps, about 24 Mbps ahead of rivals, and was fastest on 5G download at 280.4 Mbps (Unifi 235.2, Maxis 208.2).
  • CelcomDigi won 5G Upload Speed with 32.9 Mbps.

Source: Malaysia, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Open Malaysia on Ookla's Global Index →

151 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Malaysia eSIM plans →
Philippines flag Philippines 5G 2 carrier networks from $0.51
Globe 5G15–200 Mbps Smart 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • DITO won the Best Network award for the second consecutive time with eight awards overall, including Download Speed outright at 43.1 Mbps.
  • Smart dominated the experience awards; Globe flipped Consistent Quality to an outright win.

Source: Philippines, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Open Philippines on Ookla's Global Index →

173 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Philippines eSIM plans →
Singapore flag Singapore 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
M1 5G20–300 Mbps Singtel 5G25–400 Mbps StarHub 5G25–350 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Singtel won the Best Network award, plus Reliability (927) and 5G Coverage Experience (9.5 out of 10).
  • StarHub won Download Speed outright with 172.7 Mbps, 8 Mbps ahead of Singtel; M1 and StarHub tied for 5G Download Speed at 302.4-305.5 Mbps.

Source: Singapore, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Open Singapore on Ookla's Global Index →

154 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Singapore eSIM plans →
South Korea flag South Korea 5G 3 carrier networks from $1.00
KT 5G25–300 Mbps LG U+ 5G20–250 Mbps SK Telecom 5G25–350 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • SK Telecom won Download Speed outright with 189.3 Mbps, 35 Mbps ahead of KT (154.3), plus Coverage (9.4 out of 10) and 5G Coverage (7.3).
  • KT won 5G Download Speed with 486.2 Mbps; LG U+ won 5G Availability with 90.3%.

Source: South Korea, December 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, December 2025.

South Korea ranked 7th worldwide for median mobile download speed in Ookla's Speedtest Global Index (June 2026).

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-06.

Open South Korea on Ookla's Global Index →

151 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Taiwan flag Taiwan 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.57
Chunghwa Telecom 5G25–300 Mbps FarEasTone 5G20–250 Mbps Taiwan Mobile 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Chunghwa Telecom dominated with 9 outright and 3 joint wins, sweeping all four speed awards and both coverage awards.
  • Chunghwa won Download Speed with 106.1 Mbps and 5G Download Speed with 268.1 Mbps — 47% faster than FarEasTone on 5G.

Source: Taiwan, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Open Taiwan on Ookla's Global Index →

127 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Taiwan eSIM plans →
Thailand flag Thailand 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
AIS 5G25–300 Mbps DTAC 5G15–200 Mbps True Move 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • AIS won the Best Network award, while True dtac users had the fastest overall downloads at 48.0 Mbps (up from 45.4).
  • True dtac also won 5G Download Speed with 141.2 Mbps, 28.4 Mbps ahead of the runner-up.

Source: Thailand, August 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, August 2026.

Ookla named AIS the fastest mobile network in Thailand for Q1–Q2 2026, with a Speed Score of 70.6 against True dtac's 66.4.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-07.

Open Thailand on Ookla's Global Index →

158 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Thailand eSIM plans →
Vietnam flag Vietnam 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Mobifone 5G15–200 Mbps Viettel 5G20–250 Mbps Vinaphone 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Viettel won Download Speed (56.7 Mbps), Coverage (8.4 out of 10) and Consistent Quality (78.8%).
  • Vinaphone won 5G Download Speed with 339.2 Mbps; MobiFone took Upload Speed, Time on Network (98.9%) and Video Experience.

Source: Vietnam, August 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, August 2026.

Open Vietnam on Ookla's Global Index →

153 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Vietnam eSIM plans →

Europe

18 destinations Most-shared host Vodafone in 11 of 18 destinations Europe eSIM guide →
Austria flag Austria 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
A1 5G25–300 Mbps Drei 5G15–200 Mbps Magenta 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • A1 was the most awarded network, retaining Coverage Experience and winning Video Experience outright.
  • Magenta took the 5G Download and 5G Upload awards outright and led the consistency criteria with a Mobile Network Experience score of 75.7, up from 73.8 in 2025.

Source: Austria, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Open Austria on Ookla's Global Index →

157 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Austria eSIM plans →
Belgium flag Belgium 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Base 5G15–200 Mbps Orange 5G20–250 Mbps Proximus 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Proximus was named best mobile network in Belgium, winning 12 of 15 categories including Coverage (9.4 out of 10), 5G Download Speed (239.9 Mbps) and Consistent Quality (85.6%).
  • Orange won Time on Network (97.9%) and shared Video Experience with Proximus.

Source: Belgium, March 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, March 2026.

Open Belgium on Ookla's Global Index →

187 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Croatia flag Croatia 5G 2 carrier networks from $0.51
A1 Hrvatska 5G15–200 Mbps Hrvatski Telekom 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Hrvatski Telekom won Download Speed (108.2 Mbps), Upload Speed (22.0 Mbps), 5G Upload Speed (34.9 Mbps), Coverage (8.7 out of 10) and 5G Coverage.
  • Telemach answered with Consistent Quality (85.7%) and Time on 5G (30.6%); Reliability was shared between A1 and Telemach.

Source: Croatia, September 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, September 2026.

Open Croatia on Ookla's Global Index →

170 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Czechia flag Czechia 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
O2 5G15–200 Mbps T-Mobile 5G25–300 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • T-Mobile was recognized as Czechia's Best Network and won the most awards (12), including Download Speed, Consistent Quality and Coverage.
  • O2 leads Time on 5G, while T-Mobile takes 5G Coverage.

Source: Czechia, September 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, September 2026.

Open Czechia on Ookla's Global Index →

150 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Czechia eSIM plans →
France flag France 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Bouygues 5G20–250 Mbps Orange 5G20–250 Mbps SFR 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Orange won both Download Speed Experience (83.8 Mbps) and 5G Download Speed outright.
  • Bouygues Telecom still collected 12 of 17 awards including Consistent Quality and Reliability, and shared Reliability with Orange at statistically tied 925 scores.

Source: France, November 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, November 2025.

Open France on Ookla's Global Index →

178 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Germany flag Germany 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
O2 5G15–200 Mbps Telekom 5G25–300 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Telekom won 11 of 14 awards outright, including Download Speed at 68.9 Mbps ahead of Vodafone (56.3) and O2 (47.4).
  • Opensignal recognizes Telekom as Germany's Best Network for reliable connections and consistent quality.

Source: Germany, November 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, November 2025.

Ookla named Telekom the fastest mobile network in Germany for Q1–Q2 2026, with a Speed Score of 77.9 ahead of Vodafone's 56.1.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-07.

Open Germany on Ookla's Global Index →

177 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Greece flag Greece 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Cosmote 5G25–300 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps Wind 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Cosmote was named Best Network and won Download Speed with 72.0 Mbps — 17 Mbps ahead of Vodafone — plus 5G Download Speed with 177.6 Mbps.
  • Cosmote also won Coverage (8.4 out of 10) and 5G Coverage; Vodafone took Time on Network (98.2%) and 5G Availability (92.7%).

Source: Greece, September 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, September 2026.

Open Greece on Ookla's Global Index →

172 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Ireland flag Ireland 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Eir 5G15–200 Mbps Three 5G15–200 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Three was named Best Network and won five awards outright, including Download Speed (60.9 Mbps), 5G Download Speed (198.9 Mbps) and Reliability (935).
  • eir ranked first for 5G Coverage Experience and 5G Availability; overall Coverage was a statistical tie between Three and Vodafone at 8.35 out of 10.

Source: Ireland, January 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, January 2026.

Open Ireland on Ookla's Global Index →

171 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Ireland eSIM plans →
Netherlands flag Netherlands 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
KPN 5G25–300 Mbps Odido 5G20–250 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Odido won Best Network, Download Speed outright (146.4 Mbps) and 5G Download Speed (279.9 Mbps) — after sweeping all 14 categories in the March 2025 edition.
  • KPN won Coverage Experience (9.4 out of 10) and 5G Coverage Experience (8.3); Time on Network was a statistical tie at 99.3% vs 99.1%.

Source: Netherlands, March 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, March 2026.

Open Netherlands on Ookla's Global Index →

184 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Poland flag Poland 5G 4 carrier networks from $0.51
Orange 5G20–250 Mbps Play 5G20–250 Mbps Plus 5G20–250 Mbps T-Mobile 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • T-Mobile won Download Speed outright with 90 Mbps (Orange second at 81.3, Play third at 53.6) and was the most awarded operator with 9 awards.
  • Orange overtook T-Mobile to win Consistent Quality and Reliability.

Source: Poland, May 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, May 2026.

Open Poland on Ookla's Global Index →

153 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Portugal flag Portugal 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
MEO 5G25–300 Mbps NOS 5G20–250 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • NOS had the fastest overall experience in Portugal, leading Download Speed Experience over second-placed MEO; MEO won 5G Download Speed outright.
  • This July 2023 edition is still the most recent Portugal country report Opensignal lists (as of October 2026) — treat the split as directional, not current.

Source: Portugal, July 2023, Mobile Network Experience, July 2023.

Open Portugal on Ookla's Global Index →

173 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Spain flag Spain 5G 4 carrier networks from $0.51
Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps Orange 5G20–250 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps Yoigo 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Movistar was the most awarded operator (10 outright, 3 joint) and won the Best Network award.
  • Movistar won Download Speed outright with 96.7 Mbps, leading Orange (66.8) by 30 Mbps; DIGI took both 5G speed awards with 260.4 Mbps on 5G download.

Source: Spain, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Open Spain on Ookla's Global Index →

175 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Switzerland flag Switzerland 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Salt 5G15–200 Mbps Sunrise 5G20–300 Mbps Swisscom 5G25–350 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Swisscom earned the Best Network title, winning Coverage (9.4 out of 10), 5G Coverage, Time on Network (99.1%), Consistent Quality (89.7%), Reliability (954) and 5G Download Speed (209.1 Mbps).
  • Sunrise won Time on 5G (43.7%); Salt took 5G Upload Speed (36.4 Mbps).

Source: Switzerland, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Open Switzerland on Ookla's Global Index →

156 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Turkiye flag Turkiye 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.57
Turk Telekom 5G15–200 Mbps Turkcell 5G25–300 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Turkcell won Download Speed, Upload Speed, Video Experience (68.5 points) and 4G Coverage Experience outright, and has held the speed and coverage awards in Opensignal Türkiye reports since 2022.
  • Türkiye launched commercial 5G on April 1, 2026 — this June 2025 report covers the pre-5G era, so the ranking may shift in coming reports.

Source: Türkiye, June 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, June 2025.

Open Turkiye on Ookla's Global Index →

178 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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United Kingdom flag United Kingdom 5G 4 carrier networks from $0.51
EE 5G25–300 Mbps O2 5G15–200 Mbps Three 5G15–200 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • EE was the strongest performer with 11 outright awards, including Download Speed at 53.2 Mbps.
  • O2 won the Coverage Experience award outright with 9.0 out of 10; Three took 5G Download Speed with 187 Mbps.

Source: United Kingdom, January 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, January 2026.

Ookla's RootMetrics drive tests gave EE every UK-wide RootScore award for the 26th consecutive cycle, with a UK-wide median download of 130.3 Mbps — more than twice the next-best result.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-08.

Open United Kingdom on Ookla's Global Index →

192 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Americas

8 destinations Most-shared host Claro in 5 of 8 destinations Americas eSIM guide →
Argentina flag Argentina 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Claro 5G10–150 Mbps Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps Personal 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Personal won Download Speed Experience with 27.3 Mbps, 30.8% faster than second-placed Claro.
  • This November 2023 edition is the most recent Argentina country report found — treat the split as directional, not current.

Source: Argentina, November 2023, Mobile Network Experience Report, November 2023.

Open Argentina on Ookla's Global Index →

136 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Brazil flag Brazil 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Claro 5G10–150 Mbps TIM 5G25–300 Mbps Vivo 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Vivo won overall Download Speed and 5G Download Speed, with a lead of nearly 14 Mbps over second-placed Claro.
  • TIM led Consistent Quality and Reliability for the fourth consecutive report.

Source: Brazil, January 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, January 2026.

Open Brazil on Ookla's Global Index →

150 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Colombia flag Colombia 5G 3 carrier networks from $4.00
Claro 5G10–150 Mbps Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps Tigo 5G10–150 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Movistar won the most awards (9 total) including 5G Download Speed with 248.0 Mbps, Time on Network (98.8%) and Reliability (797).
  • Claro retained Download Speed outright at 32.7 Mbps — 9 Mbps ahead of Movistar — and won Coverage Experience outright at 8.3 out of 10.

Source: Colombia, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Open Colombia on Ookla's Global Index →

142 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Colombia eSIM plans →
Costa Rica flag Costa Rica 5G 3 carrier networks from $3.00
Claro 5G10–150 Mbps Kolbi 5G10–150 Mbps Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Claro won all but two awards outright, including Consistent Quality, Reliability, Video Experience (61.8) and all five overall experience awards.
  • Kolbi won the remaining two — Coverage Experience (8.2 out of 10) and 5G Coverage Experience — with the strongest reach into remote areas.

Source: Costa Rica, April 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, April 2026.

Open Costa Rica on Ookla's Global Index →

149 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Mexico flag Mexico 5G 3 carrier networks from $3.00
AT&T Mexico 5G15–200 Mbps Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps Telcel 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Telcel kept the Reliability Experience award with 863 points on a 100-1000 scale, 96 points ahead of AT&T.
  • Telcel's 5G download averaged 180.7 Mbps — over three times the competition — while AT&T won the Availability award.

Source: Mexico, October 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, October 2025.

Open Mexico on Ookla's Global Index →

158 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Peru flag Peru 5G 3 carrier networks from $3.00
Claro 5G10–150 Mbps Entel 5G10–150 Mbps Movistar 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Entel swept most awards: Download Speed (13.0 Mbps), Coverage (6.6 out of 10), Time on Network (99.1%), Consistent Quality (70.4%) and Reliability (894).
  • Movistar won 5G Download Speed with 90.0 Mbps; Claro took Video Experience outright.

Source: Peru, February 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, February 2026.

Open Peru on Ookla's Global Index →

113 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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United States flag United States 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
AT&T 5G25–300 Mbps T-Mobile 5G25–300 Mbps Verizon 5G25–350 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • T-Mobile won 12 of a possible 16 awards, including Download Speed outright at 192.5 Mbps — nearly 97 Mbps ahead of second-placed AT&T.
  • T-Mobile also won Reliability with 942 points (AT&T 939, Verizon 932); AT&T led Time on Network at 99.6%.

Source: United States, July 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, July 2026.

Ookla named T-Mobile the fastest mobile network in the United States for H1 2026, recording a median download of 275.6 Mbps against AT&T's 159.3.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-07.

Open United States on Ookla's Global Index →

220 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare United States eSIM plans →

Africa & Middle East

8 destinations No host crosses borders here — each destination runs on its own national carriers Africa & Middle East eSIM guide →
Egypt flag Egypt 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Etisalat Misr 5G10–150 Mbps Orange Egypt 5G10–150 Mbps Vodafone Egypt 5G15–200 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • WE won the Best Network award and was the most awarded operator with 7 outright wins, including Download Speed at 25.5 Mbps.
  • Vodafone retained 5G Coverage and won Time on 5G (9.6%) and 5G Availability (37.5%); e& Egypt took 5G Download Speed (75.8 Mbps).

Source: Egypt, February 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, February 2026.

Open Egypt on Ookla's Global Index →

142 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Egypt eSIM plans →
Israel flag Israel 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.57
Cellcom 5G25–300 Mbps Partner 5G25–300 Mbps Pelephone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Partner won Download Speed Experience (58.7 Mbps) and 5G Download Speed (329.7 Mbps).
  • Cellcom won Coverage Experience (8.7 out of 10) and Consistent Quality (71.8%); Pelephone took 5G Coverage and 5G Availability.

Source: Israel, December 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, December 2025.

Open Israel on Ookla's Global Index →

161 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Israel eSIM plans →
Kenya flag Kenya 5G 3 carrier networks from $5.00
Airtel Kenya 4G10–100 Mbps Safaricom 5G15–200 Mbps Telkom Kenya 4G8–80 Mbps

Independent measurements

No named Opensignal report covers this destination yet — Ookla's mobile index still tracks the market month by month.

Open Kenya on Ookla's Global Index →

123 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
Compare Kenya eSIM plans →
Qatar flag Qatar 5G 2 carrier networks from $0.57
Ooredoo 5G25–350 Mbps Vodafone Qatar 5G20–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Ooredoo leads the national award count with 8 outright wins across the 13 metrics compared; Vodafone took the remaining four.
  • Ooredoo and Vodafone shared the Reliability award with statistically tied scores of 858-864.

Source: Qatar, November 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, November 2025.

Open Qatar on Ookla's Global Index →

138 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Saudi Arabia flag Saudi Arabia 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Mobily 5G20–300 Mbps STC 5G25–350 Mbps Zain 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • stc won Download Speed outright with 69.3 Mbps (9 Mbps ahead of Mobily) plus 5G Download Speed (260.2 Mbps), Coverage (8.4 out of 10) and 5G Coverage.
  • Mobily answered with Video Experience (64.5), Time on Network (98.1%), Consistent Quality (64.7%) and Reliability (839).

Source: Saudi Arabia, February 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, February 2026.

Open Saudi Arabia on Ookla's Global Index →

145 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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South Africa flag South Africa 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
MTN 5G20–250 Mbps Telkom 4G10–100 Mbps Vodacom 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • MTN again won Download Speed outright with 60.1 Mbps — an 18 Mbps lead over second-placed Vodacom — and took 11 of 15 awards.
  • Vodacom carried away the second-most awards with 5, across a five-operator market that also includes Cell C, Rain and Telkom.

Source: South Africa, August 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, August 2025.

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135 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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United Arab Emirates flag United Arab Emirates 5G 2 carrier networks from $0.51
du 5G20–250 Mbps Etisalat 5G25–300 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • e& UAE (formerly Etisalat) won 12 of the 13 awards, including Best Network.
  • du's sole win was Time on Network at 99.3%, just 0.3 points ahead — coverage is simply not a differentiator between the UAE's two operators.

Source: United Arab Emirates, March 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, March 2026.

The UAE ranked 1st worldwide for median mobile download speed in Ookla's Speedtest Global Index (June 2026) — the fastest mobile market on earth.

Source: Ookla RootMetrics report, 2026-06.

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152 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Oceania

3 destinations No host crosses borders here — each destination runs on its own national carriers Oceania eSIM guide →
Australia flag Australia 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
Optus 5G20–250 Mbps Telstra 5G25–300 Mbps Vodafone 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Optus led with eight awards and retained 5G Download Speed outright at 199.9 Mbps (Telstra 171.7, Vodafone 161.8).
  • Telstra retained Coverage Experience (9.6 out of 10) and 5G Coverage Experience (8.0).

Source: Australia, May 2026, Mobile Network Experience Report, May 2026.

Open Australia on Ookla's Global Index →

153 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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New Zealand flag New Zealand 5G 3 carrier networks from $0.51
2degrees 5G15–200 Mbps One NZ 5G20–250 Mbps Spark 5G20–250 Mbps

Independent measurements

  • Spark retained the widest coverage, its Coverage Experience score rising from 9.0 to 9.1 out of 10.
  • One NZ narrowed the coverage gap with its own improvement.

Source: New Zealand, October 2025, Mobile Network Experience Report, October 2025.

Open New Zealand on Ookla's Global Index →

149 plans · 8 brands · identical hosts
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Glossary

Network terms this page uses

Travel eSIM marketing rarely explains its own vocabulary. These are the terms behind the cards above, in plain language.

Host network
The local carrier whose towers your phone actually connects to — the mast behind the signal bars. Coverage and speed follow it, so it is the first thing worth knowing about a destination.
MNO
Mobile network operator: a company that owns and runs radio infrastructure and holds the spectrum licence, such as Vodafone, Orange or NTT Docomo. The hosts on this page are MNOs.
Travel eSIM brand
The shop you buy from — an MVNO or reseller that buys capacity from MNOs and resells it in app form. It owns no towers, which is why several brands can ride the same host.
Roaming agreement
A commercial deal letting one carrier's customers use another's network. Travel eSIMs are built on these, which is how a single plan reaches a country its brand has no presence in.
Multi-IMSI
A SIM profile carrying several network identities. The eSIM picks whichever partner network is strongest locally, which is why one regional plan can hop carriers at a border.
Local access versus roaming
Local access registers your device as a domestic user, so traffic is not routed home and latency stays low. Roaming-style plans tunnel traffic back through the home network — fine for browsing, slower for calls.
5G NSA and SA
Non-standalone 5G leans on a 4G core and covers most consumer traffic; standalone 5G uses a 5G core with lower latency but far thinner coverage. A "5G ready" badge on a plan usually means NSA.
Typical speed band
Our indicative floor-to-typical range for a network, compiled from provider listings. It is orientation, not measurement — the cited Opensignal and Ookla reports are the measurements.
Coverage experience
Opensignal's measure of how often users actually get a usable signal where they go, rather than how fast it is when they do. It is the award that predicts rural and road-trip performance best.

Brand vs network

What the brand changes when the network is the same

Since the hosts match across providers, the real differences sit one layer up. Here is where a brand choice actually bites.

Price and plan shape

The same host network can carry a cheap per-gigabyte plan and an expensive one. That spread is the whole reason this site exists — start from the country comparisons.

Support and install route

QR-code install, app-based activation, human support hours and ID requirements all vary by brand. We track those differences on each provider page.

Fair-use limits

Unlimited plans cap heavy use differently — thresholds, hotspoting rules and throttled speeds are brand policy, not network physics. Our fair-use audit compares them line by line.

FAQ

Which network does your eSIM use

Which network does my travel eSIM use?

The host network depends on the destination, not the brand. In Japan, for example, every provider we track connects to NTT Docomo, SoftBank and KDDI; in Spain it is Movistar, Vodafone, Orange and Yoigo. The destination cards above name the exact hosts for every country we map, with a link to each country page for the plans riding them.

Do all eSIM brands use the same networks?

At this check, yes — the providers we track ride identical host networks in every destination. They are resellers of local carrier capacity, so the brand choice affects price, plan shapes and support rather than coverage. Every destination card verifies each provider's listing, so if one ever changes hosts the card will show the split instead of one list.

Which network is best for eSIM in Europe?

Vodafone is the most shared host across the European destinations we track, appearing in well over half of them, which is why one plan so often covers several European countries well. But "best" still depends on your route: the UK verdicts favour different winners than Italy or Spain, so check the tester verdicts for the specific countries on your itinerary.

Does it matter which local network my eSIM uses?

It matters more than the brand. Coverage in rural areas, 5G reach and real-world speeds all follow the host network. The decision section above turns that into three rules of thumb — rural reach, 4K-grade floors, and city-on-a-budget — and each country page details the per-network strengths.

Are the speed numbers on this page measured by eSIM Sift?

No, and they do not need to be. The per-destination verdicts quote published Opensignal reports and Ookla RootMetrics drive tests, linked to the originals with their dates. Our own per-network Mbps ranges are indicative bands compiled from provider listings — orientation, not measurement.

Why do providers share the same host networks?

Travel eSIM providers buy capacity from local carriers rather than operating their own towers, and host agreements are broadly similar across brands. That is good news for buyers: network quality is a destination-level decision you can research once, instead of re-litigating it brand by brand.

Will a regional eSIM plan cover my whole trip?

It depends on whether one carrier group spans your route. A handful of host networks appear in more than one country — Vodafone, Movistar, Claro and Orange among them — and the cross-border section above lists exactly which destinations each one covers. Where a single group spans your whole itinerary, a regional plan usually beats stacking single-country plans; where the region is fragmented, it usually does not.