The Roaming Index: 10 connectivity options, scored for the international deal day
The demo doesn't care which country you're in. We scored 10 international-data options — four US carriers, six travel eSIMs — on 15 published commitments: honest pricing, stated limits, tethering rights, and what happens when the plan runs out mid-trip. Top score: 93 (T-Mobile (included intl)). ‘Unlimited’ turns out to be roaming's ‘varies by property.’
The ranking
| # | Provider | Score /100 | P·D·W·S·N (of 3) | What the public record says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T-Mobile (included intl) | 93 | 3·3·3·3·2 | Wins by publishing its own weaknesses: international data is included, and the reduced speeds are stated in plain terms. The Index rewards the asterisk you can actually read. |
| 2 | Google Fi | 87 | 3·3·3·3·1 | Domestic-plan roaming with the throttle threshold in writing and tethering allowed — the most complete stated commitment set among carriers. |
| 3 | Airalo | 73 | 3·1·2·3·2 | The eSIM category leader publishes prices, caps, and tethering rights cleanly — the data-only tradeoff is at least an honest one. |
| 4 | Holafly | 73 | 3·1·2·3·2 | ‘Unlimited’ with a stated daily hotspot cap — credit for publishing the limit, deduction for the banner that needs one. |
| 5 | Saily | 73 | 3·1·2·3·2 | Nord's eSIM matches Airalo's published set nearly line for line — the category's commitments are converging fast. |
| 6 | Verizon TravelPass | 73 | 2·2·3·2·2 | $12/day, auto-activating, calls included — convenience fully committed; the taxes-and-speeds fine print less so. |
| 7 | AT&T Intl Day Pass | 67 | 2·2·3·2·1 | Mirrors Verizon's committed convenience at the same $12; publishes slightly less around throttles and extensions. |
| 8 | Nomad | 67 | 3·1·2·3·1 | Clean published pricing and tethering rights; refund terms trail the leaders. |
| 9 | Ubigi | 60 | 3·1·2·3·0 | Solid stated basics from the Transatel network; support and refund commitments are the thin end. |
| 10 | GigSky | 53 | 3·1·2·2·0 | Pioneer-era eSIM with published prices and caps; the modern commitment set — refunds, live support, top-ups — hasn't followed. |
Dimensions: Price Truth · Data Honesty · Work Readiness · Setup Speed · Safety Net. 10 scored · July 2026 · changelog v1.0.
What the Index found
The winner published its weaknesses. T-Mobile tops the table not because its roaming is fast — it states plainly that it isn't — but because every limit is in writing. The Index rewards exactly that: a slow connection you can plan around beats a fast one you can't verify.
‘Unlimited’ is the category's varies-by-property. Every unlimited plan carries a fair-use policy; the honest ones (Holafly's stated hotspot cap) publish it, the rest bury it. For a seller, the printed cap is the product — the banner is marketing.
Tethering is the make-or-break check nobody reads. The laptop demo runs on the phone's hotspot rights. Six of ten state them clearly. The traveler who checks one line of terms before an international onsite should check this one.
Carriers sell convenience; eSIMs sell math — both now in writing. $12/day auto-activation versus $5/GB with a QR code is a real choice with published terms on both sides. Ten years ago neither side committed anything; the roaming market is quietly the most improved in travel.
Method, in full
Fifteen checks, five dimensions, three each:
- Per-day/per-GB pricing published
- Coverage list per plan published
- Taxes/fees included stated
- Data caps stated
- Throttle thresholds stated
- Speed expectations stated
- Hotspot/tethering rights stated
- Calls/number option available
- Regional/multi-country plans
- Instant eSIM issue
- Pre-trip install supported
- In-app top-up
- Refund policy published
- Live chat support stated
- Extension/rollover terms stated
A check scores Yes only on a documented public commitment — published pricing, stated policies, product documentation, disclosed terms. “Usually,” “varies,” fine print that contradicts the banner, and unpublished practice score No. Carrier scores read each network's flagship published international offering; eSIM scores read US-storefront terms. This measures the floor a provider will put its name to. It does not grade execution on any given booking — no desk audit can.
Corrections
Every score is correctable with evidence. If a published commitment contradicts a No, send documentation to rachel@thesalestraveler.com — verified corrections update within 7 days and land in the changelog. Scored companies also hold a formal right of reply — including a published 150-word response, verbatim, alongside the entry.
THE INDEX DESK — The US50 · The Executive Tier · Deal-Day Index · The Layover Office · The Road Office · Curb-to-Client · Booking Channels · Apartment-Stay · The Roaming Index · Conference ROI · Expense Velocity · Road-Ready Sales AI · Status Yield — same method, thirteen markets: scored on published commitments only.