Travel eSIM adoption to surge 32% as carriers face roaming revenue squeeze
Source: Financial Times (paywall)
eSIM adoption among travelers jumped from 101.8M to 134M units—a pace that traditional carrier roaming businesses cannot match. For incumbents deriving 3-5% of total revenue from roaming premiums, the economics shift materially: pricing power erodes as customers switch to MVNOs and tech platforms offering cheaper alternatives. Carriers face a choice between aggressive price cuts or margin compression.