I travel a lot for work, so international data is important to me. The price of roaming is ludicrous and Wi-Fi hopping isn’t an option. There are travel SIMS, but buying a new one for each country is annoying and I tend to lose them easily between trips.
Because of my diva-level data requirements, I tried a KnowRoaming SIM sticker on a recent trip to India. And I was genuinely surprised by how great it was.
What’s A SIM Sticker?
Just as the name suggests, it’s sticker that attaches to your everyday SIM card. The package comes with an application tool, but you’ll still want to be super careful as you only have one shot at it.
You then download the KnowRoaming app on iOS or Android and create an account.
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When you’re at home, everything works like normal. As soon as you enter a new country, the sticker connects you to a local service automatically.
All you need to do is keep your KnowRoaming account topped up to have data immediately. When I landed in Changi a push notification welcomed me to Singapore. I could obsessively check Instagram before arriving at the terminal. The same happened when I landed in Delhi.
Being instantly connected without having Wi-Fi hunt or go through the travel SIM process was awesome.
How Much Does It Cost?
It’s $US29.99 for the sticker itself, which at the current exchange rate is just under $39. When it comes to the service, you can opt for a pay-as-you-go or unlimited data package. Both come with free WhatsApp usage.
The latter works to be just over $10 a day for endless access, meaning you can set and forget. Being sold in USD, exact pricing will depend on the exchange rate.
If you would rather pay as you go, the KnowRoaming website has a handy tool that’s broken down by country:
You can also access it via the app.
This option is good if you’re going to have a decent amount of Wi-Fi access or simply don’t need much data.
They also have an app feature called ReachMe that provides a local number that calls to your home number can be forwarded to. Prices start at $US4.38 per month.
For anyone who would prefer to not put a sticker on their SIM card, KnowRoaming also sells dedicated travel SIMs for $US9.99 that work in the same way as above. You’ll just need to pop it into your phone whenever you head overseas.
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One concern with the SIM sticker is that you’ll need a replace if you want to change SIMs. A small price to pay perhaps, but still worth considering.
So if you’re heavy handed like me when it comes to data usage overseas, KnowRoaming is definitely worth a try. The sheer convenience alone was a huge selling point for me and I haven’t had any issues. I always had access to the internet overseas.
The rise of global services like this will hopefully force Australian telcos to be more competitive with their international roaming offerings in the near future.