Unlimited-data eSIM for the United States
The truly unlimited eSIM doesn't exist. They all carry a fair use policy: past a certain usage the speed drops. What changes between brands is whether they publish the threshold. For the United States, the alternative with the number up front is buying volume: 20,90 € gets you 20 GB over 30 days, which is more than most people use in a month.
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You're about to buy an unlimited plan. Look for three things on their page before paying: after how many megabytes the speed drops, what it drops to, and whether hotspot sharing is included or costs extra. If the three aren't written down, you already know plenty about what you were about to buy.
Why unlimited doesn't exist
A mast has one capacity and splits it among everyone underneath it. That's why no operator in the world can hand out infinite traffic, and why every plan called unlimited carries a fair use clause: past a certain usage, almost always daily, the speed is reduced. It's in the fine print of the entire industry.
The threshold always exists. The only thing that changes from one brand to another is whether they publish it.
What to buy instead
If what you're after is not running short, the honest route is buying enough volume and knowing exactly how much you have. For the United States, these are the big plans:
| Plan | Price | Amounts to |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days · 10 GB | 11,90 € | About 330 MB a day for a month |
| 30 days · 20 GB | 20,90 € | About 660 MB a day for a month |
| 1 GB-a-day pass, 15 days | 20,90 € | 1 GB every day, no more, no less |
| 1 GB-a-day pass, 30 days | 39,90 € | 1 GB every day for a month |
To give you a sense of what those figures mean: 500 MB a day covers maps all day, messaging, email, looking places up and a bit of social media. What doesn't fit in there is sustained video.
When an unlimited from another brand does make sense
When you'll genuinely use far more than a gigabyte a day, every day: you're working from there on video calls, livestreaming, or acting as the hotspot for a whole group. In that case an unlimited plan may work out better for you, and saying so costs us nothing. What never makes sense is buying one without knowing where the cut-off sits.
What is a fair use policy?
The clause that lets an operator reduce your speed past a certain usage, usually daily. Every brand applies one, because a network's capacity is finite. The difference lies in whether they publish the threshold or not.
How many gigabytes are “enough” for the United States?
With normal use — maps, transport, messaging, a bit of social media — two weeks comes to between 2 and 4 GB. If you watch video out and about or share data, allow double or triple.
Does hotspot sharing draw from the same allowance?
Yes. Whatever the connected device uses comes out of your gigabytes. Some unlimited plans from other brands also cap or exclude hotspot use: it's one of the three things worth checking before you pay.
See the plans for the United States
Something off, or a price changed? Write to ayuda@zasesim.com and we'll fix it. Data when you land.