How much data do your customers need?

As an Airalo Partner, you help connect travelers worldwide with eSIM technology.

But how much data do your customers really need? Understanding data consumption patterns — and guiding users to the right eSIM plan — ensures they have a hassle-free travel experience while optimizing their costs.

In this guide, we'll break down typical data usage and provide insights on how to recommend the best data packages for your customers.

Understanding data usage: A quick overview

Mobile data allows users to stay connected to the internet when Wi-Fi isn't available. Traditionally, without eSIMs, travelers faced unpredictable roaming fees and limited options. eSIM technology eliminates this uncertainty by offering prepaid data packages, giving users control over their costs and connectivity.

To understand how much data you need to sell to customers, let's put data consumption into perspective.

A 1 GB eSIM plan allows users to roughly:

• Watch ~1 hour of high-definition video on YouTube
• Stream ~9 hours of high-quality music on Spotify.

Data consumption of common everyday online activities

Travelers’ data needs vary based on their activities. Here’s a breakdown of common online activities and their typical data consumption, ranked from least to most data usage:

• Basic communication: Text-based messaging, like WhatsApp or email, uses minimal data. Voice calls over WhatsApp or FaceTime require more but are still relatively low.
• Navigation: Google Maps consumes around 200 MB per hour for real-time navigation, but offline maps help minimize data usage.
• Web browsing: Visiting text-heavy websites requires little data, but image- and video-heavy sites increase consumption.
• Social media: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok consume substantial data, especially when streaming videos. For example, it's estimated that Instagram consumes around 600 MB of data per hour.
• Streaming: Video streaming on Netflix and YouTube is the most data-intensive activity. These platforms consume an average of around 720 MB per hour for HD videos. Audio streaming, like Spotify or podcasts, ranges around 150 MB per hour,

What factors to consider with data

To help your customers choose the best eSIM data plan, you need to consider these factors:

• Trip duration: Short trips may require smaller data packages, while extended stays necessitate larger plans. The longer the trip, the longer the data needs to last. 
• Travel activities: Travelers who primarily use navigation and communication may need less data than those who plan to stream videos or use social media heavily.
• Connectivity habits: Understanding your customers’ typical online behavior helps determine their data needs. Heavy users require more data.
• Availability of Wi-Fi: If your customers anticipate relying on Wi-Fi, they may need a smaller data plan.

For Airalo Partners: How to recommend data to customers

Here are a few pointers to help you ensure your users purchase the right amount of data for their trip:

1. Offer a range of data plans: Provide a variety of data packages to cater to different user needs.  
2. Educate customers: Share information on data usage and help them understand their consumption patterns. 
3. Promote flexible options: Highlight the benefits of flexible eSIM plans that allow for top-ups if needed.
4. Emphasize offline features: Remind customers to download offline maps and content to minimize data usage.
5. Provide clear examples: For example, "For a 7-day trip, with moderate social media usage, and light navigation, we recommend a 3 GB plan."

By understanding and communicating these data usage insights, you can empower your customers to select the perfect eSIM plan, ensuring a seamless and connected travel experience.