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Tired of being stung by painful roaming charges when you travel? There's a brand-new mobile network that will slash the cost of using speedy 5G internet when abroad, and it comes from a very unlikely place.
Community Fibre, the 100% full-fibre broadband provider that connects gigabit-quality internet to homes across London and parts of southern England, has launched a new eSIM venture with prices starting from £2.29.
While you need to live in a specific part of the UK to take advantage of Community Fibre's award-winning broadband — anyone can switch to its affordable eSIM plans. With one of these eSIMs in your handset, you'll be able to call, text, and connect to mobile internet in over 160 countries worldwide.
Given that there are only 195 countries worldwide, according to the United Nations, that's pretty impressive.
Community Fibre lets you purchase roaming plans of different data sizes and durations for individual countries, regions, or globally. Mobile data is used to browse the web, send and receive messages via WhatsApp, stream music from Spotify or other apps, navigate via Google Maps, and much more.
Interested? Getting started with this new eSIM brand is really simple.
Switch to Community Fibre's new eSIM plans
Community Fibre — the award-winning full-fibre broadband firm — has launched a new eSIM venture that offers access to speedy 5G data in over 160 countries worldwide. Choose your data allowance before you board your flight, so you'll never return home to an unexpected bill. If you're travelling with other people, you can share your mobile data via a hotspot, saving even more money!
Community Fibre eSIM
$2.29
You should head to communityfibre.co.uk/esim to check whether your iPhone or Android phone is compatible with eSIMs and is unlocked, meaning it can be used with any network.
If you've ticked both of those boxes, you'll need to download the Community Fibre eSIM app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store before you travel. Once you've got the app, you can follow the setup guide to install your eSIM in just minutes.
The service uses 4G and 5G networks to give you the best coverage and speeds wherever you're travelling.
You can still use your regular phone number for calls and texts through your physical SIM card — or another eSIM already installed on your device — while the Community Fibre eSIM handles your data needs.
Here's how it works once you arrive at your destination: your mobile plan will activate automatically the moment you land, so there's no fiddling with settings or waiting around. You pay upfront for exactly the data you need, so there's no nasty surprises or extra charges hiding in the small print.
You can choose how much data you want and how many days you'll need it.
If you run out, you can top up anytime, even when you're offline. There's no contract to worry about either, so you're not tied into anything long-term.
And if you're travelling with friends or family, only one of you needs to purchase an eSIM from Community Fibre. That's because this new virtual provider lets you share your 4G or 5G data connection through a hotspot, keeping all your family's devices connected safely without relying on dodgy public Wi-Fi.
What's really great is that you don't need to be a Community Fibre broadband customer to use this service. Anyone living in the UK can buy and use the eSIM, making it accessible to everyone who wants to avoid those painful roaming bills from the major networks.
Community Fibre has built quite a reputation in London, where they've connected over 1.3 million homes with their full fibre network. The broadband upstart earned an award from Which?, which named the supplier the 'Greatest of Great Value' in 2025.
They've also won Best Consumer ISP at the ISPA Awards for five years running. Now the brand wants to take on some of the biggest mobile networks out there, helping you stay connected without the usual eye-watering costs.
According to Community Fibre, the biggest perks of its eSIM plan are:
- Save up to 96% with our prepaid data plans in over 160 countries
- No hidden costs: Pay for what you need upfront. Top up at any time, even when you're offline
- Instant access: Plans instantly activate once you arrive at your destination
- Share data via hotspot: Keep your household's devices safe by avoiding public Wi-Fi
- Dual SIM option: Use your physical SIM to receive mobile calls and SMS
- 4G and 5G connection: Get the best coverage and speeds available.
As you'd expect, the biggest UK mobile networks all offer support for eSIMs. EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three UK all support eSIMs as full-service options on pay-monthly and pay-as-you-go plans.
EE positions eSIM as a straightforward replacement for a physical SIM with wide device support and full 5G access. Vodafone sells both domestic and “travel” eSIM packs and markets unlimited and mid-tier SIM-only bundles. For its part, O2 supports eSIM on its pay monthly and business plans, although availability varies based on the exact monthly plan you've picked. Three UK also offers eSIMs for its “Your Way” plans and aims to make swapping from plastic to embedded eSIMs as simple as possible.
Alongside these household names, there are several eSIM specialist firms, like Airalo, Ubigi, Holafly, GigSky and others. These newer arrivals have proven hugely popular with travellers because they sell data-only eSIMs you download instantly, often for a fraction of roaming charges. Airalo’s starter packs, for example, can begin from around £3 for small short-stay bundles. These providers shine for cheap short-term data, regional passes, and instant QR-code delivery.
- Compare eSIM deals on Airalo
- Compare eSIM deals on Ubigi
- Compare eSIM deals on Holafly
- Compare eSIM deals on GigSky
Quick price tip: network eSIMs give you a standard UK number and voice/SMS with monthly plans (cheap plans from low-teens to premium unlimited tiers), while reseller eSIMs are usually data-only and best for short trips — cheaper per GB for short stays, but without a UK voice number. Make sense?
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