The travel eSIM problem isn’t simply about how operators source network components or outsource activities but about how quickly and easily they can turn a promising eSIM idea into a viable, differentiated, and profitable mobile service.
The headline figure from recent (October 2026) Juniper Research data that many people focused on was the warning that global retail roaming revenue could fall by as much as 28% between 2026 and 2031—from $15.6 billion to $11.3 billion. Similar figures from Counterpoint forecast global operator retail roaming revenues to fall by a similar ratio of a third by 2030.
But what the scary figures conceal is that a lot of that drop is down to the now seemingly unstoppable rise of travel eSIM—with the number crunchers specifically calling out international travellers adopting travel eSIMs in favour of roaming services delivered to an international traveller’s home SIM.
The same analysts state that revenue from eSIM packages grew by 85% from 2024-2025, from $989 million to more like $1.8 billion by the end of last year. (For contrast, CCS Insight forecasts travel eSIM provisions will quadruple by 2030, creating a $4.4 billion market.)
Whatever the final figures, we can’t deny this is an ecosystem in rapid expansion, with the technology, in Juniper’s words, “creating an increasingly competitive market environment that mobile network operators must adapt to”.
Which begs the question: how?
A legacy brand has power, yes. But can you dance to it?
The good news is that Digitalk can give you the right MVNE tools to help any MNO easily build out new and distinctively branded eSIM providers and propositions–while also helping MVNOs that want to be able to target multiple such opportunities, with a dynamic array of eSIM propositions too.
But first, we need to see why you’d need such a response to these scary roaming trends. It’s reasonable to worry as an operator that, if our customers can simply buy eSIM packages from other providers and use them while abroad, we’re going to lose a heck of a lot of money.
So, we need to fight back. One path is to spin up our own travel eSIM proposition—which many operators are doing, like Vodafone. As GSMA noted last year, using the draw of your own brand can win you a lot of hearts and minds here (“MNOs are a trusted channel, whereas MVNOs are relatively unknown brands, boding well for telcos moving into the space”).
Which is true… as far as it goes. What about ditching the legacy, though, and instead crafting a highly targeted travel eSIM sub-brand proposition that would really hit home with a certain niche target audience—or even better, ‘audiences’ plural?
We talk a lot (and quite rightly) about the main value here being the mature business traveller, and you should definitely be drawing up a proposal for the same.
But what about, say, Interrail-ing Gen Z-ers, who never have money, but who treat having Wi-Fi as basic a human need as oxygen?
How many parents or indulgent uncles and aunts might set them up for a nice package that will let them call home base but also get a lot of TikTok and broadband to research the nearest Ruin Bar or stretch of Instagrammable street food joints?
You never know—they might like you well enough to tell their friends about you on their Snapchat stories and/or keep using you for their Erasmus year. And of course, we all live in a social graph: for every second-year traveller there could be a sibling digital nomad who could be impressed enough to see if you could offer them a great business travel SIM that could let them get a seamless Teams connection while on the road with no throttling, and so on.
Just because I’ve got grey hair doesn’t mean I don’t do my research
That’s just two possibilities; we could just as easily have talked about workcation, digital nomadism, the $2 billion silver traveller community, and so much more… all of which niches are full of savvy, price- and feature-conscious discriminating digital consumers.
But what’s going to be the defining flavour of travel eSIM is that each audience has different priorities. Some want a low-cost package that lasts for a specific trip; others, convenience, predictable billing, shared allowances or the ability to manage several connections in one place, and so on.
It will also be about the value-add. You might need to strengthen your travel proposition with travel companies, airlines, universities, youth travel organisations or corporate travel providers, perhaps.
Whatever you think up, you want to be concentrating on that business side of things, not architecture, security, or billing mechanisms. There really is a world of travel eSIM sub-market opportunity out there, and all the numbers say it’s a multi-billion one.
Some ideas won’t catch fire, yes. But does that matter if getting one up and market-tested and tweaked is as easy as A-B-C? The MVNOs that will reap the travel eSIM rewards are the ones that build packages that meet my specific travel eSIM needs.
And this is where Digitalk’s successful digital MVNO builder kit, the Digitalk Mobile Cloud, will really help.
Make it easy to get as creative and responsive as you want
Why? Because this easy way to quickly roll out great customer experiences across digital channels, simplifying engagement and easy onboarding, is the best way to help both operators and their MVNO partners quickly launch regional, country-specific, and data-only offers with flexible durations, turning a generic product into a targeted, profitable one.
Even better, we’re constantly adding more and more features to load on all the eSIM capabilities you could want, making it straightforward to both build a new, distinct identity travel proposition and run it from your console, too.
Customers will confirm that Digitalk Mobile Cloud is a foolproof way to get the tools to get creative and launch the interesting new travel eSIM brands and offers you know are open to travel eSIM persuasion.
So, if you see the decline in traditional roaming as opening the door to eSIM success, and want to launch your new travel eSIM idea, to make sure it’s a different kind of roaming success, why not connect with the experts in the Digitalk Mobile Cloud team today and get on your own version of a the sleeper to Thessaloniki?