Opensignal analysis reveals Holafly's network improvements deliver faster worldwide connections for travellers. Opensignal research shows Holafly reduced median round-trip latency by 29 milliseconds across 19 markets. New breakout points in Madrid, Dallas, and Singapore deliver faster, more responsive mobile internet for international travellers. Dublin City, Ireland-(Newsfile Corp. - October 30, 2026) - What lower latency means for travellers: Latest Opensignal analysis reveals how Holafly's network improvements deliver faster connections worldwide A traveller in Thailand opens a map to find their hotel, but the request their phone sends may travel thousands of kilometres before reaching the internet, adding unnecessary delays to a journey that happens in milliseconds and affecting how quickly the map loads or responds. This is an invisible part of mobile internet performance, but one that can make a difference to the experience of travelling abroad. Holafly has been working to shorten that journey through improvements to its network infrastructure. These efforts are now reflected in independent research by Opensignal, which reports a 29-millisecond reduction in median round-trip latency across 19 markets. In practical terms, this means less time waiting for data to travel between a device and the services it accesses, helping applications respond more quickly, whether travellers are checking directions, accessing bookings or making video calls. Store Big Data To achieve this, Holafly introduced regional internet breakout points in Madrid, Dallas and Singapore, allowing customers' data to reach the internet closer to where they are travelling instead of passing through distant network hubs. Think of it as taking a more direct route to the same destination: the less distance the data needs to cover, the sooner a response can arrive. This progress follows an earlier examination of travel eSIM performance by Ookla, which highlighted differences between providers that travellers would not necessarily notice when comparing plans. For Holafly, independent research does more than measure performance: it helps identify where the experience can be improved. The company has continued investing in its network infrastructure, and the latest Opensignal findings provide evidence of that progress. Discover more Start an LLC Learn AI Tools Businesses When we talk about fast mobile internet, download speed is often the first thing that comes to mind, but it is only part of what makes a connection feel fast. Latency also plays an important role: while download speed determines how quickly data can be transferred, latency measures how long it takes for a request to receive a response. A connection can offer fast downloads but still feel slow if data takes too long to travel back and forth, which explains why two eSIMs using the same network may deliver different response times. "At Holafly, we're obsessed with quality because peace of mind starts with knowing that your internet will work when you need it. Our commitment goes beyond providing coverage in more destinations: we want to deliver the best possible experience wherever our customers travel. That means continuously measuring, questioning and improving the technology behind our service, so travellers can focus on their journeys knowing we're taking care of the rest," said Chris Hills, VP of Carriers at Holafly. Key findings from Opensignal's analysis * 29 milliseconds less latency: reduction in median round-trip latency across the 19 markets analysed. * Three regional internet breakout points: Madrid, Dallas and Singapore, designed to shorten the routes mobile data takes before reaching the internet. * More responsive mobile internet: Shorter data routes can reduce delays when accessing maps, websites, video calls and other services, without requiring changes to devices or settings. Contact Info: Name: Holafly Email: [email protected] Organization: Holafly Website: https://esim.holafly.com/

Travel Tech: KnowRoaming returns for the eSIM era. South African investment group DNI has invested in the travel SIM pioneer to help expand its consumer reach and international footprint, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK. Share. Published on 18 September 2026 The power of an eSIM always amazes me when I land in another country and switch off flight mode. A data package bought before departure connects my phone to a local mobile network for data access almost instantly, while the home SIM remains in place for regular voice calls - if I even receive those anymore. Maps and messaging work before I've got to passport control, and the ancient tradition of expensive data roaming recedes further into history with every trip. KnowRoaming gave travellers an early version of that freedom long before the eSIM became a standard smartphone capability. South African entrepreneur Gregory Gundelfinger and his co-founder Mathew Stein developed what they called the world's first Global SIM Sticker more than a decade ago. The wafer-thin chip was attached to an existing SIM card, and connected the phone to partner networks abroad. At the time, it was my first real global mobile solution. Travellers could use voice and data across more than 200 countries without replacing their home SIM, while an app tracked usage and managed credit. The technology looks quaint beside today's instant downloads, but it anticipated the central promise of eSIM: one device able to adopt a new mobile identity as its owner crosses a border. KnowRoaming piggybacked on global licensing deals made possible by Gundelfinger's US-based telecoms group Telna. In 2024, the business and brand was sold to eSimplified, and executive director Michael Roffey led the rebuilding of the company around consumer and enterprise traveleSIMs. This week, South African investment group DNI announced that it has invested in KnowRoaming as part of more than R2.1-billion committed across its connectivity and technology portfolio. DNI says its investment will help KnowRoaming expand its consumer reach and international footprint, supported by the group's telecommunications expertise and industry relationships. Africa is a primary target for that expansion. In effect, KnowRoaming is very much a global company, but with a large staff contingent based in South Africa. "We see this as a real advantage because it means decisions get made close to one of the fastest-growing travel and eSIM markets in the world," Roffey told Gadget. "DNI's investment strengthens that local anchor and puts Gadget in a strong position to build for the realities of this market. "It comes down to distribution, speed and depth in emerging markets. With DNI alongside us, we can put KnowRoaming in front of customers through far more channels than we could on our own, while accelerating investment in our platform and our marketing." The company is embedding its eSIM service in banks and telecoms businesses, along with travel platforms that can sell connectivity as part of a trip. It has also launched an enterprise service through which companies can provide eSIMs to employees and lower the cost of employee travel data. Of course, the consumer market is overflowing with eSIM brands. Holafly has been especially relentless in its marketing, this week distributing a Travel eSIM Value Index that found, surprise, Holafly offered the best value. Its comparison included Airalo and Saily, but excluded KnowRoaming and my preferred provider, eTravelSIM. In my own travels, eTravelSIM has usually beaten Holafly and Airalo on cost in every country. The latter two usually win on comparisons of unlimited packages for a specific number of days, but that is usually overkill for the typical trip in which the traveller flips between hotel and conference Wi- Fi and an eSIM. "Holafly and Airalo are strong global players, but both are built around a single-purchase model and a largely direct-to-consumer footprint," says Roffey. "KnowRoaming differs both in terms of distribution and product." "We are launching features such as KR.One, whereby a customer buys one eSIM and adds plans to that installed eSIM for every trip. That shifts travellers away from today's disposable model, where you buy a new eSIM for the US and another for the UK, to installing once and simply adding a plan for each trip." That feature takes KnowRoaming back to the principle behind Gundelfinger and Stein's original sticker: install the technology once and use it wherever one travels. And it offers one rare advantage, says Roffey: it treats Africa as a priority region. "We understand the market's realities first-hand, and DNI brings distribution and operating expertise across the continent that no global competitor can easily replicate." * Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, editor of GadgetWings, and author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to AI - The African Edge".

The phone switch that could prevent a nasty holiday roaming bill (cloned). Affiliates Editor Published 2nd Sep 2026, 16:06 BST This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. A travel eSIM can have your phone connected from the moment you land, without hunting for a local SIM or risking an unexpectedly expensive roaming bill when you return home. Most holiday spending is painfully visible. You pay for the flights, accommodation and airport parking before you even leave home. However, one of the nastier expenses can arrive after you return. Using your normal mobile data abroad can become surprisingly expensive, particularly if your network charges a daily roaming fee or you travel beyond the destinations included in your contract. That is the problem Holafly's travel eSIMs are designed to solve. Instead of searching for a mobile shop after landing or attempting to prise a tiny physical SIM from your phone, you can arrange your overseas data before departure. An eSIM is a digital SIM installed directly on a compatible smartphone. Holafly lets travellers choose their destination and the length of their trip, buy a suitable data plan online and receive the installation instructions electronically. Nothing needs to arrive through the post, and there is no physical card to lose in the bottom of your hand luggage. The important part happens when you land. After installing the eSIM using the Holafly app or a QR code, you can select it as your phone's mobile-data connection and activate the overseas plan at your destination. This gives you internet access for everything that suddenly becomes essential when you are standing in an unfamiliar airport, including digital boarding passes, hotel directions, translation apps, taxi bookings and messages from whoever was supposed to meet you. Holafly currently offers travel eSIMs for more than 200 destinations, with individual country packages and wider regional plans covering areas such as Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Regional coverage could be particularly useful on a multi-country trip. Rather than purchasing another SIM each time you cross a border, one compatible plan may keep your phone connected across several stops. Many of Holafly's destination packages include unlimited mobile data, allowing travellers to use maps, browse websites, upload photographs and stream content without watching a small data allowance rapidly disappear. Coverage and available speeds depend on the local mobile networks, while hotspot allowances can differ between destinations and products. It is therefore worth checking the complete details of the plan before purchasing, particularly if you intend to connect a laptop or share data with another traveller. The eSIM will usually handle data rather than ordinary mobile calls and texts. However, you can continue using services such as WhatsApp with your existing number, while many dual-SIM phones allow the normal physical SIM and travel eSIM to remain installed together. Care is still required here. Leaving roaming enabled on your usual SIM could allow your home network to charge for calls, texts or data, so check the settings carefully before heading abroad. One of Holafly's more unusual extras is called Always On. Once the eSIM is installed, it provides 1GB of backup data every 30 days in more than 150 destinations, even after the main travel package has ended. That small reserve could be enough to retrieve a booking, send a message or access a map during an unexpected stopover. Unused Always On data does not roll over, and the eSIM must remain installed for the monthly allowance to continue. People spending longer periods overseas can also explore Holafly's monthly global plans. These cover 160 destinations and include a 25GB Light option alongside an unlimited-data package, with the ability to cancel rather than commit indefinitely. Before buying, travellers should confirm that their phone supports eSIM technology and is not locked to a particular mobile network. Holafly provides a device compatibility checker, and it makes sense to install the eSIM using reliable Wi-Fi before leaving the UK. The company also provides round-the-clock support through online chat and WhatsApp. Its refund policy allows customers up to six months to request their money back in certain circumstances, including an unused eSIM that is no longer required or a compatible-device problem, although conditions apply. A travel eSIM will not automatically be cheaper than every roaming pass, especially if your existing tariff already includes the country you are visiting. The sensible approach is to compare both prices before travelling. However, for anyone facing expensive daily roaming charges, visiting several countries or simply wanting mobile data ready for the moment the aircraft doors open, checking the Holafly options for an upcoming trip could prevent an unpleasant surprise later.