Is the plastic SIM card on the way out? There has been a surge in Australians using eSIMs to sign up to a new plan and a new telco – and it was driven by the Optus outage on November 8.
According to data gathered by TPG Telecom, one in four new and re-signing customers are now activating the eSIM in their smartphone when signing up and connecting to a new mobile service through Vodafone, TPG and iiNet brands.
And it was the Optus outage that has driven customers to migrate to eSIM.
On November 8, when the Optus network was down and in the days that followed, Vodafone gained thousands of new customers.
Many were able to switch from Optus to Vodafone in minutes because they took the eSIM option.
This means they didn’t have to go into a store or wait for a SIM card to be delivered – they simply went online and signed up and then scanned a QR code to active the eSIM.
And it’s easy to not only switch providers but to adding another number to your device.
Smartphones that have an eSIM also have a physical SIM card tray so they can have one number on their plastic SIM and a second number on an eSIM.
This would be useful for people who have separate work and private numbers and for travellers who want to add another number to use on their holidays.
And you can not only use an eSIM with Vodafone, Telstra and Optus many other mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) are also offering eSIMs including Amaysim, Superloop, Kogan Mobile, Lebera, Felix Mobile and TPG.
“We are seeing a shift with more Australians using eSIM to connect with us. eSIM is better for the environment, it’s quick and easy to use, and it also allows you to connect to a secondary mobile provider in case you ever need a back-up service,” a TPG Telecom spokesperson.
“Not only can this add a layer of protection for mobile customers in the event of a network outage, it also supports the environment by eliminating the need for plastic SIMs.”
Using an eSIM means less plastic, less manufacturing along with less packaging and therefore less shipping because nothing needs to be delivered.
eSIM COMPATIBLE SMARTPHONES:
iPhone: iPhone XR and newer
Samsung: Galaxy S20 and newer, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, Galaxy Z Fold and newer, Galaxy Z Flip and newer
Google: Pixel 4 and newer
Oppo: Oppo Find X3 Pro, Find N2 Flip, Oppo Reno 5A, Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G, Oppo Reno 9A, Oppo Find X5, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Oppo A55s 5G
Motorola: Motorola Razr 2019, Motorola Razr 5G, Motorola Razr 40, Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, Motorola Razr+, Motorola Edge+, Motorola Edge 40, Motorola Edge 40 Pro, Motorola Edge 40 Neo, Motorola G52J 5G, Motorola G53J 5G, Motorola G84.
