Using mobile data while traveling abroad tends to be a costly affair due to international roaming fees, the additional charges mobile operators slap on customers who want to use their phones in a foreign country, with differences in network systems and alliances between carriers also factoring into these higher costs.
Addressing this frustrating issue, Firsty has launched an eSIM service that promises free basic mobile data for life, wherever you may be. Boasting a simple user interface, Firsty offers a seamless mobile experience for travelers, expats, and globetrotters. The ‘Firsty Free’ package pledges to eliminate unexpected fees and provides users with an instant data connection for essential use.
Firsty utilizes a global network of regional telecom partners, automatically connecting users to the best local provider, without the need for manual intervention. Firsty’s technology seamlessly switches providers in the background, avoiding any potential disruption in connectivity.
There’s a catch
Although you get unlimited data free for 60 minutes for essential services like WhatsApp, Messenger, email, and Uber, when that time is up you’ll need to watch a 30-second ad to stay connected. This freemium approach may not appeal to everyone but it does away with expensive roaming and you keep your existing phone number.
If you need a faster connection, you can upgrade to Firsty Fast which gives you 2GB of data a day for a daily rate of (from) €2.00. Firstly says that is, in some instances, 60 times cheaper than traditional plans. You can buy one day at a time, or 30 days’ worth of data for a saving, and Firstly has a pause function that allows users to save their days for future use, and they can restart the service in any country.
To get started, you just need to download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. When you first set up the app, you’ll get 100MB of Firsty Fast data for free.