eSIM and SIM cards in United States

Expect to pay more than at home

The United States has some of the most expensive mobile data in the developed world. European visitors in particular get a shock.

• A physical tourist prepaid SIM runs around USD 40 plus tax for 10 GB.
• A travel eSIM such as Saily for the same 10 GB is roughly USD 10 to USD 25. For most trips the eSIM simply wins, which is the opposite of the advice for somewhere like Jamaica or Egypt.
• The three networks are Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. Everything else, including Mint, Visible, Cricket and Ultra Mobile, resells one of them.
• T-Mobile has the best-value prepaid and the weakest rural coverage. Verizon has the best rural coverage and charges for it.

Buying on arrival

• Airport kiosks are the worst value in the country. They exist to sell to people who did not plan.
• Carrier stores, Walmart, Target and Best Buy all sell prepaid SIMs at normal prices.
• You do not need to register with a passport, unlike most of the world. Payment is enough.
• A US billing address is sometimes demanded online, which is exactly the friction that makes a travel eSIM easier.

Coverage, honestly

• Cities and interstates are fine, with widespread 5G.
• Coverage disappears in the mountain west, the desert southwest and large stretches of national park. This is not a marginal effect. There are places on major roads in Utah, Nevada and Montana with nothing at all.
• Download offline maps before any road trip. Treat live navigation as a bonus rather than a plan.
• Wi-Fi is free and universal in hotels, cafes, libraries and most fast food chains.
• Public payphones effectively no longer exist. A dead phone in a remote area is a real problem rather than an inconvenience.