PrepaidDaniel Mercer, Lead eSIM Analyst
About
About Daniel.
Former telecom analyst who has tested prepaid eSIM plans across 40+ countries since 2022. Based in Singapore.
Previously at Analysys Mason covering APAC mobile markets (2016-2021). During that time, he covered carrier pricing strategy, MVNO market entry, and SIM/eSIM adoption rates across the Asia-Pacific region. He has written pricing analyses referenced by telecom executives and regulatory bodies.
At PrepaidTraveleSIM, Daniel leads all provider testing, pricing verification, and country-level coverage analysis. Every comparison, review, and guide on this site reflects his methodology: buy the plan, install it on a personal device, test it in real travel conditions, and report what actually happens.
He does not accept free plans from providers. All testing is funded by the publication. This independence means reviews and ratings reflect real user experience, not vendor relationships.
43
Countries tested
280
Plans reviewed
14
Airports tested
8
Years in telecom
Methodology
Testing methodology.
Every provider review and country comparison follows a standardized testing protocol. The goal is reproducible, verifiable data that reflects what a real traveler experiences.
Purchase
Buy the plan through the provider's public app or website at the listed price. No press accounts, no promotional codes, no vendor-supplied test SIMs.
Installation
Install on an iPhone 15 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to test both platforms. Time the installation from QR code scan to active data connection.
Speed testing
Run Speedtest by Ookla at 3 locations per city: airport arrival, city center, and a secondary neighborhood. Record download, upload, and ping at each location.
Coverage verification
Use the eSIM for all navigation, messaging, and browsing during a real trip. Note any dead zones, speed drops, or connection issues with GPS coordinates and timestamps.
Support testing
Contact support with a standard question (data remaining, plan extension, refund policy) and measure response time and resolution quality.
Pricing verification
Compare the published price against the actual charge on the credit card statement. Verify per-GB math. Check for hidden fees or currency conversion markups.
Full methodology details are available on the Our Research page.
Coverage
Countries and airports tested.
Daniel has tested eSIM connectivity in 43 countries and 14 international airports. Each country test includes at least one major city and one secondary location to verify coverage beyond capital-city tower clusters.
Countries (43)
Airports (14)
Contact
Get in touch.
For corrections, updates, or questions about any review or guide on this site, contact Daniel directly. He reads every message and responds within 48 hours during business days.