What are the best local prepaid SIM cards in every country worldwide?
That, of course, depends on the country.
Let's talk about Digicel – a mobile operator active in the Caribbean, Central America & (Pacific) Oceania.
In most English-speaking nations in the Caribbean, it is the best.
However, that cannot always be said about Central America or Oceania – even though it is all by the same company.
So it can be a challenge to determine which SIM card is the best in country B, even if you had an amazing experience in country A with a SIM card from the same company (Digicel for this example).
Luckily for you, I am crazy enough to buy every SIM card available in the countries I visit so that you do not have to.
Based on my research, testing & findings, I can tell you which SIM card is the best without you wasting your money or being disappointed because you accidentally bought the worst SIM card available.
Instead, I am the one wasting my money 🤪.
That is why you are always free to buy me a coffee (or tea), which does not get spent on tea but on SIM cards instead (I do not get them for free, unfortunately).
While I have in-depth SIM card buying guides, you may want to get a quick overview of the options in the country you are visiting.
That is what this page is for – and the lookup tool.
Here, you can easily see the best SIM card(s) in every country with the cost of a basic SIM card (so it excludes data-only and tourist SIM cards), and how much 1 GB of data will cost you.
Be sure to check the notes in the last column for additional information applicable to the country.
TIP: use this tool combined with the SIM card prices worldwide lookup tool.
For up-to-date currency exchange rates (let's say Euro to US Dollars), use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
For convenience, I will also list the best SIM card of each country below.
Sometimes, there is a cheaper option or an option that may be better for your purpose (let's say better coverage or speed than the one mentioned in the table below).
Therefore, you should use the lookup tool above for more information.
If you are confused about all the symbols, those are the currency symbols.
For up-to-date currency exchange rates (let's say Euro to US Dollars), use the Wise Currency Converter tool.
(Note – I update multiple individual country guides every week, but this page and the tool get updated every now and then. Click on the country name to read the SIM card buying guide of that country and for up-to-date information).
Last updated (table): 6th of October 2022.
| Country | Best SIM Card | Reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhazia | Aquafon | Best overall | N/A |
| Afghanistan | Unknown | – | After the fall of the previous Afghan government, things have changed a lot. I have no plans on visiting the country any time soon, and my contacts left the country |
| Åland Islands | Ålcom | Only choice – monopoly | Elisa Finland and DNA offer free roaming in the Aland Islands – using their SIM cards will be much cheaper than getting an Aland Islands SIM card |
| Albania | Vodafone Albania | It has the best overall network. | ALBtelecom offers loads of cheap data at 3G (speeds). |
| Algeria | Djezzy | Best coverage | Buying your SIM card at the airport will not cost you more than buying it in town |
| American Samoa | BlueSky American Samoa | Only choice – monopoly | N/A |
| Andorra | Andorra Telecom | Only option – monopoly | Andorra Telecom is currently the only mobile operator in Andorra. |
| Angola | Unitel Angola | It has the most extensive coverage throughout Angola and the fastest speeds. | More expensive than Movicel. |
| Anguilla | Digicel Anguilla | It has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). | Both mobile operators have extensive coverage throughout the country, and the speeds are similar. |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Digicel Antigua and Barbuda | It has attractive plans that include high data allowances for select apps, including TikTok and YouTube. | N/A |
| Argentina | Personal Argentina | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. It is also the only mobile operator with a 5G NR network (also for prepaid). | N/A |
| Armenia | Viva MTS | It is, overall, the best mobile operator in the country with the fastest speeds and best coverage. | N/A |
| Aruba | SETAR | It is, overall, the best mobile operator. | N/A |
| Ascension Island | Sure Ascension Island | Only option – monopoly | Do note that the price of 1 GB of data will cost you more than 100 SHP. |
| Australia | Telstra | It has the best network and the fastest speeds. | Consider Boost Mobile, the only Telstra MVNO with full access to the Telstra network (but no 5G NR yet), for cheaper rates than Telstra itself. |
| Austria | A1 Austria | It has the best network and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Azerbaijan | Azercell | Best overall | N/A |
| Bahamas | BTC | Great overall | The coverage with both operators is on par, so are their speeds. |
| Bahrain | STC Bahrain (VIVA Bahrain) | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds in the country. | N/A |
| Bangladesh | Grameenphone | It is, overall, the best mobile operator with the best performance. | N/A |
| Barbados | Digicel Barbados | It offers a large variety of plans | Both mobile operators have excellent nationwide coverage. |
| Belarus | MTS | Best overall | N/A |
| Belgium | Proximus | It has the best overall network. | N/A |
| Belize | Digi Belize (formerly DiGiCell) | It has the best coverage and fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Benin | MTN Benin | Equally as good (or bad) as Moov Benin | N/A |
| Bermuda | Digicel Bermuda | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, its packages offer much more value than One's. | N/A |
| Bhutan | B-Mobile | Best overall | N/A |
| Bolivia | Entel Bolivia | It is, overall, the best mobile operator in the country. | N/A |
| Bonaire | Digicel Bonaire | Good coverage and fast speeds like Flow Bonaire. | Both mobile operators have good coverage and have equally fast speeds. The main difference is the type of plans they offer and the prices charged (which are rather similar). |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | BH Telecom | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Botswana | Mascow Wireless | Best 3G coverage | N/A |
| Brazil | Claro Brazil (including former Nextel Brazil) | It has one of the best coverage nationwide and has a large variety of plans (at average prices). | N/A |
| British Virgin Islands (BVI) | Digicel BVI | It has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). | Both mobile operators have extensive coverage, and the speeds are similar. |
| Brunei | DST Communications | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Bulgaria | A1 Bulgaria | It has, overall, a great network. | N/A |
| Burkina Faso | Orange Burkina Faso | Good coverage | Speeds can be slow in Burkina Faso |
| Burundi | Lumitel | Widest 4G/LTE coverage | Econet Leo may sell their SIM cards for 500 BIF during certain promotions |
| Cambodia | Metfone Cambodia | It has the best overall coverage, but Smart has the best 4G/LTE availability. | N/A |
| Cameroon | MTN Cameroon | Best coverage | 4G/LTE is on 2500 MHz on Band 41, which is uncommon. Need a high-end phone for that. Speeds are slow in Cameroon. |
| Canada | Telus | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds in Canada. | However, Telus and Koodo prepaid customers have a 100 Mbps speed cap. |
| Cape Verde | CV Móvel | It has the best coverage and the best variety in plans and packages. | N/A |
| Cayman Islands | Digicel Cayman | It can be a good option if you use any of the Digicel apps. | Both mobile operators are equal in speeds and coverage. |
| Central African Republic | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Chad | Tigo Chad | Best coverage and the fastest | Coverage throughout Chad is bad |
| Channel Islands (Jersey & Guernsey) | Sure Channel Islands | Best overall | N/A |
| Chile | Entel Chile | Entel is the best mobile operator in most regards. | N/A |
| China | China Unicom | Best for non-Chinese phones | A lot of bureaucracy to get a Chinese SIM card – be aware of that |
| Colombia | Claro Colombia | It has the best overall coverage (mostly 2G & 3G). | N/A |
| Comoros | Telma | Ambitious operator | Huri, the other operator, blocks VoIP apps |
| Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) | Airtel Congo | Best overall and the cheapest | N/A |
| Cook Islands | Vodafone Cook Islands (formerly BlueSky Cook Islands) | Only choice – monopoly | It is the only mobile operator in Cook Islands. |
| Costa Rica | Kölbi | It has the fastest speeds and the best 4G/LTE coverage experience. | N/A |
| Côte d'Ivoire/Ivory Coast | Orange Ivory Coast | Best coverage | N/A |
| Crimea | Win Mobile | Best overall | N/A |
| Croatia | Simpa by Hrvatski Telekom | It has the best overall network and the fastest speeds. Consider its tourist SIM card with unlimited data for 7 days, costing 85 HRK (12.80 USD). | N/A |
| Cuba | Cubacel (by ETESCA) | Only option for travelers | It is currently the only mobile operator in Cuba. |
| Curacao/Curaçao | Digicel Curaçao | It has the fastest speeds and the best coverage. | N/A |
| Cyprus | epic Cyprus (formerly MTN Cyprus) | It is the best and fastest mobile operator. | Speeds have significantly improved in Cyprus – thanks to 5G. The cost of data has gone down as well. |
| Czech Republic | T-Mobile Czech | It has the fastest network. | N/A |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Denmark | Lebara Denmark | It has extensive coverage and fast speeds. Consider Lebara for free international calls from Denmark to 60 countries. | Both MVNOs use the networks of Telia and Telenor, which have extensive coverage and fast speeds. |
| Djibouti | Djibouti Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | It is the only mobile operator in Djibouti. |
| Dominica | Digicel Dominica | It has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). | Both operators have great coverage throughout the country (not in the mountains), and the speeds are similar. |
| Dominican Republic | Claro Dominicana | It has the best (2G & 3G) coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| East Timor / Timor-Leste | Telemor | It has the best coverage (especially in rural Timor-Leste) and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Ecuador | Claro Ecuador | It has the best (4G/LTE) nationwide coverage. | N/A |
| Egypt | Vodafone Egypt | It is the best but the most expensive. | Consider Etisalat if you prefer to create your own plan with Demagh Tanya, but know its reception is weak. |
| El Salvador | Claro El Salvador | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Equatorial Guinea | Getesa | Best in general | N/A |
| Eritrea | None | SIM cards are not available to travelers. And they do not even have mobile data | Expats can get a SIM card in the country. However, the process is lengthy. Still, no mobile data. |
| Estonia | Telia (Diil, Simpel & Super) Estonia | It has the best overall network and the fastest speeds. | Moreover, the Diil and Simpel Telia sub-brands allow for EU/EEA roaming. |
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | MTN Eswatini | Best coverage | Eswatini is expensive compared to South Africa. Best operator is also cheaper than the other option (Eswatini Mobile) for some reason |
| Ethiopia | Ethio Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | It is the only mobile operator in Ethiopia |
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) | Sure Falkland Islands | Only option – monopoly | It is currently the only mobile operator in the Falkland Islands. |
| Faroe Islands | Føroya Tele | Best coverage | Vodafone has only 1 data pack (5 GB and 250 FOK credit) for 230 FOK |
| Fiji | Vodafone Fiji | It has great coverage and speeds. Vodafone is the best option in most aspects, but it is also the most expensive. | Both mobile operators have great coverage and about the same speeds. |
| Finland | DNA | Its coverage is comparable with Elisa's and Telia's. But DNA offers much more favorable data-featured plans than its competitors. Moreover, it is Finland's fastest (5G NR) mobile operator. | N/A |
| France | Orange France | It has, overall, the best mobile operator, and its Mobicarte Vacances (Monde) and Orange Holiday tourist SIM cards are fantastic. | N/A |
| French Guiana | Orange Caraïbe | It has the fastest speeds in the territory. Moreover, it allows for free roaming in the French West Indies (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin – called Zone Locale). | N/A |
| French Polynesia | Vini | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds | |
| Gabon | Gabon Telecom | Better than Airtel Gabon (only competitor) in every regard, sometimes even cheaper than Airtel Gabon | N/A |
| Gambia | Africell Gambia | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | Its network can be overloaded during peak hours, resulting in slow connections. |
| Georgia | MagtiCom | Best overall | N/A |
| Germany | Telekom (formerly T-Mobile) | It is the best mobile operator. However, it is the most expensive. | N/A |
| Ghana | MTN Ghana | Best coverage and fastest speeds | N/A |
| Gibraltar | Gibtelecom | Only choice – monopoly | N/A |
| Greece | COSMOTE | It has the best overall network, with the best coverage and fastest speeds – even for 5G NR. | N/A |
| Greenland | Tele Greenland | Only option – monopoly | The featured plan is part of TELE Greenland's Tusass Plus subscription. Make sure to cancel it before leaving Greenland to avoid being charged for no reason. Without this subscription, you will pay over 800 DKK for 1 GB |
| Grenada | Digicel Grenada | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, Digicel also has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). | N/A |
| Guadeloupe | Orange Caraïbe | It has the fastest speeds in the territory. Moreover, it allows for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana (Guyane), Martinique, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin – called Zone Locale). | N/A |
| Guam | DoCoMo Pacific | It is regarded as the best overall by the locals. | N/A |
| Guatemala | Tigo Guatemala | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds in the country. | N/A |
| Guinea | Orange Guinea | Best in all regards and also offers 4G/LTE | N/A |
| Guinea-Bissau | Orange Bissau | Best overall | N/A |
| Guyana | Digicel Guyana | It has (slightly) better (4G/LTE) coverage than GTT. | N/A |
| Haiti | Digicel Haiti | It is, overall, the best mobile operator. | N/A |
| Honduras | Tigo Honduras | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | Tigo is only marginally more expensive than Claro. |
| Hong Kong | China Mobile (CMHK) | It has the fastest 4G/LTE & 5G NR speeds | N/A |
| Hungary | Magyar Telekom | It has the best network and has the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Iceland | Síminn | Sínimm has the best (5G NR) network. | Vodafone Iceland have generous data allowances. |
| India | Jio | It is best overall and offers the most variety in plans. | Mobile data speeds are already slow in India. |
| Indonesia | Telkomsel | It is the fastest and has the best nationwide coverage, but it is the most expensive (but still affordable to most travelers). | N/A |
| Iran | Irancell | Best packages and easiest to get as a traveler | N/A |
| Iraq | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Ireland | Vodafone Ireland | It has the best coverage in the country. | N/A |
| Isle of Man | Manx Telecom | Best overall | N/A |
| Israel | Pelephone | It has generous data allowances, 5G NR for prepaid customers, extensive nationwide coverage & the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Italy | Multiple | See Notes | I recommend going with Wind Tre (formerly Wind and Tre), TIM, Vodafone, or Iliad. TIM has the best coverage with Vodafone. The latter also has the best overall network and the fastest 5G NR speeds. Wind Tre has the fastest 4G/LTE network. Iliad is the cheapest |
| Jamaica | Digicel Jamaica | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. It also has more choice in plans. | N/A |
| Japan | B-Mobile | See notes | Both use the NTT DoCoMo network, which is the best in the country. Moreover, Bmobile and Mobal have generous data allowances. |
| Jordan | Umnaih | It has fastest mobile internet speeds. | N/A |
| Kazakhstan | Kcell/Activ | It has the best coverage in rural Kazakhstan on slower networks (2G or 3G). | N/A |
| Kenya | Safaricom | Best operator in general but can be slow due to overcrowding | Airtel Kenya and Telkom will be merging in the coming few years |
| Kiribati | ATHKL | Only choice – monopoly | New submarine cable, called Southern Cross Next Cable, should be active in 2020. Expect faster speeds and lower prices from then on |
| Kosovo | Vala (Kosovo Telecom). | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Kuwait | Zain Kuwait | It is the best mobile operator in the country | N/A |
| Kyrgyzstan | MegaCom Kyrgyzstan | Best overall | Buying your SIM card at the airport will not be more expensive than buying it in town |
| Laos | Unitel | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Latvia | LMT | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, it offers 5G NR to prepaid customers already. | N/A |
| Lebanon | Alfa | Cheaper than Touch. More packages and and worse coverage than Touch | Data is expensive for Middle Eastern standards |
| Lesotho | Vodacom Lesotho | Best overall | N/A |
| Liberia | LoneStar Cell MTN | 50/50 market share and coverage is about the same as Orange Liberia | N/A |
| Libya | Libyana | As good as Almadar Aljadid | The chairman of Almadar Aljadid claimed that it is too dangerous to set up a network in southern Libya. Expect only coverage in the north, like in Libya and Benghazi |
| Liechtenstein | Swisscom | It is, overall, the best mobile operator in Switzerland (and Liechtenstein, for that matter) with the best coverage and speeds in Liechtenstein for literal years. | N/A |
| Lithuania | Tele2 (Pildyk) Lithuania | It has the fastest speeds by a long shot and best (4G/LTE) coverage in the country. | N/A |
| Luxembourg | Post Telecom Luxembourg | It has the best coverage. | Orange is the cheapest. |
| Macau/Macao | CTM | Best overall together with Three Macau | Each operator has dedicated 3G SIM cards for their 3G network, and 4G/LTE SIM cards for their 4G/LTE networks. 4G/LTE SIM cards and packages are a but more expensive than 3G SIM cards and plans, but are significantly faster |
| Madagascar | Airtel Madagascar | Reliable coverage | Coverage in rural Madagascar can be patchy at times |
| Malawi | Airtel Malawi | Good coverage and cheaper than TNM (only competitor) | Connection may be unreliable throughout Malawi |
| Malaysia | Digi | It has the fastest speeds. Celcom has the best 4G/LTE coverage. | N/A |
| Maldives | Dhiraagu | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. It also has more choice in plans. | N/A |
| Mali | Orange Mali | Best overall | Fast speeds can only be found in the regional capitals in Mali |
| Malta | Epic Malta (formerly Vodafone Malta) | It has the best overall network. | N/A |
| Marshall Islands | NTA | Only option – monopoly | Mobile data is EXPENSIVE on the Marshall Islands. Using NTA's WIFI hotspots will cost you 15 USD/month for phones and 35 USD/month for other type of devices |
| Martinique | Orange Caraïbe | It has the fastest speeds in the territory. Moreover, it allows for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana (Guyane), Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy & Saint Martin – called Zone Locale). | N/A |
| Mauritania | Mauritel | Best overall | Connection quality is bad throughout Mauritania. It took until 2020 for the country to get 4G/LTE |
| Mauritius | my.t (by Mauritius Telecom) | It is the best performing mobile operator. | N/A |
| Mayotte | Orange Mayotte | Cheaper than SFR Mayotte while having good coverage | N/A |
| Mexico | Telcel | It is the fastest mobile operator in the country, and it has the best coverage. | Consider Movistar & AT&T for slightly lower prices. But your network performance will be significantly worse than on Telcel. |
| Micronesia | FSM Telecom (FSMTC) | Only choice – monopoly | N/A |
| Moldova | Orange Moldova | It is, overall, the best mobile operator in the country. | Consider Moldtelecom (formerly Unité) for more generous allowances for worse network performance. |
| Monaco | Orange France | See France | Monaco Telecom does not offer prepaid service (anymore) |
| Mongolia | Mobicom | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds | N/A |
| Montenegro | Crnogorski Telekom | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Montserrat | Digicel Montserrat | It has good coverage in populated areas. Digicel also has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB/app). Flow's 4G/LTE network barely exists. | N/A |
| Morocco | Maroc Telecom | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Mozambique | Vodacom Mozambique | It is the best mobile operator overall. | N/A |
| Myanmar / Burma | MPT | It has the best 2G and 3G coverage in rural Myanmar (with the slowest overall speeds). | N/A |
| Nagorno-Karabakh | Karabakh Telecom | Only option – monopoly | N/A |
| Namibia | MTC | Best coverage | N/A |
| Nauru | Digicel Nauru | Only choice – monopoly | N/A |
| Nepal | Ncell | Best overall | N/A |
| Netherlands/Holland | T-Mobile NL | It has a great network with capped prepaid speeds @ 100 Mbps. | N/A |
| New Caledonia | Mobilis by OPT-NC | Only choice – monopoly | It is the only mobile operator in New Caledonia. |
| New Zealand | Vodafone New Zealand | It is the fastest, especially on 5G NR. | N/A |
| Nicaragua | Tigo Nicaragua ((formerly Movistar).) | It has the best coverage in the country. | Claro can be faster in some locations, but you will still be better off with Tigo. |
| Niger | Airtel Niger | Best overall | Quality of service is bad in Niger |
| Nigeria | MTN Nigeria | It has the best network, but it is also the most expensive option. | Glo Mobile used to be the second-best, but its speeds have suffered over the years. |
| Niue | Telecom Niue | Only choice – monopoly | N/A |
| Norfolk Island | Glonet | Only option – Norfolk Telecom does not offer data | No data packs are sold. The starter pack comes with 3 GB, which is expensive. |
| North Korea | Koryolink | Only option for travelers | No data packages with Koryolink. You will pay 0.20 USD per MB. Data is CRAZY EXPENSIVE in North Korea |
| North Macedonia | Makedonski Telekom | It has the best coverage. However, it throttles prepaid speeds to up to 21 Mbps. | N/A |
| Northern Cyprus | KKTC Turkcell | Best overall | Both SIM cards can roam for free in Turkey, but not in Cyprus |
| Northern Mariana Islands | DoCoMo Pacific | Best overall | N/A |
| Norway | Telia Norway | It has extensive coverage and fast speeds. | Both Telia and Mycall allow for 5G NR use. |
| Oman | Ooredoo Oman | It has the best coverage and is about as fast, and sometimes even faster, as Omantel. | N/A |
| Pakistan | Jazz | Jazz’ 2G network is the most extensive in Pakistan | In terms of speed, both Jazz and Zong are topping the list. |
| Palau | PalauCel | Only choice – monopoly | It is the only mobile operator in Palau. |
| Palestine | Jawwal | Best coverage | 2G speeds in the Gaza strip. Using an Israeli SIM card, bought in Israel, can significantly improve speeds |
| Panama | +móvil | It is regarded as the best mobile operator in Panama. | Consider Claro (and Digicel) for plans with unlimited 4G/LTE data. |
| Papua New Guinea (PNG) | Digicel PNG | Best overall | N/A |
| Paraguay | Tigo Paraguay | It has the best coverage and, overall, the best network. | N/A |
| Peru | Movistar Peru | It has the best coverage and 4G/LTE availability (the latter together with Entel). | N/A |
| Philippines | Smart! | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | N/A |
| Poland | Orange Poland | It is the best mobile operator. | Consider Nju Mobile for even more savings. It is an Orange sub-brand targeting the youth (but anyone can get this SIM card) and has full access to the Orange network with low prices. |
| Portugal | MEO (by Altice Portugal) | It has the best coverage throughout the country (including in the Azores and Madeira). | N/A |
| Puerto Rico | Claro Puerto Rico | It has the best 5G NR coverage. | Both mobile operators have extensive coverage |
| Qatar | Ooredoo Qatar | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. | Vodafone is not bad at all. It is just that Ooredoo is (significantly) better. |
| Réunion/Reunion | Orange Réunion | Good coverage and cheaper than SFR Réunion | N/A |
| Romania | Orange Romania | It is the fastest mobile operator with the best overall network performance. | N/A |
| Russia | MTS | Best coverage and good speeds | Prices for Russian SIM cards and data packages change depending on the region you buy your SIM card in |
| Rwanda | Airtel Rwanda | Great coverage and cheaper than MTN Rwanda | N/A |
| Saba | Flow/Chippie (formerly UTS Saba) | It has the best (4G/LTE) coverage, is the fastest, and allows for free roaming in Chippieland (neighboring territories with Flow/Chippie). | N/A |
| Saint Barthélemy (St Barts) | Orange Caraïbe | It has the fastest speeds in the territory. Moreover, it allows for free roaming in the French West Indies (French Guiana (Guyane), Guadeloupe, Martinique & Saint Martin – called Zone Locale). | N/A |
| Saint Helena | Sure Saint Helena | Only choice – monopoly | Speeds are slow on Saint Helena because Sure uses satellites. Submarine cable is coming in 2020. Until then, data is expensive and slow |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Digicel Saint Kitts and Nevis | Its 4G/LTE coverage is better than Flow's. Moreover, Digicel has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 45 GB per app) | N/A |
| Saint Lucia | Digicel St. Lucia | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, Digicel also has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 45 GB/app). | N/A |
| Saint Martin | Flow/Chippie Saint Martin | It allows for free roaming in Chippieland (neighboring territories with Flow/Chippie). | N/A |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Digicel St. Vincent | It has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 30 GB per app). | Both operators have great coverage, and the speeds are similar. |
| Samoa | Vodafone Samoa (formerly BlueSky Samoe) | It has the most extensive coverage and more variety in plans. | N/A |
| San Marino | See Italy | See Italy | The sole operator in San Marino, Prima, suspended their services in 2016. Italian providers cover San Marino instead |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Unitel | No speeds restrictions but worse coverage | N/A |
| Saudi Arabia (KSA) | STC Saudi Arabia | It has the best network, coverage, and overall mobile internet speed. | N/A |
| Senegal | Orange Senegal | Best overall | Coverage throughout Senegal is subpar |
| Serbia | Yettel (formerly Telenor) | It has best coverage throughout the country. | Consider MTS for generous allowances with its tourist SIM cards. |
| Seychelles | Airtel Seychelles | It is the faster option. | N/A |
| Sierra Leone | Africell Sierra Leone | It has the best coverage (especially 3G) nationwide. | N/A |
| Singapore | Singtel | It is the fastest mobile operator and has extensive coverage (like its competitors). | Consider Singtel's tourist SIM card for 100 GB of data for as little as 12 SGD (applies to M1 too). |
| Sint Eustatius | Flow/Chippie Sint Eustatius(formerly UTS Sint Eustatius) | It has the best (4G/LTE) coverage, is the fastest, and allows for free roaming in Chippieland (neighboring territories with Flow/Chippie). | N/A |
| Sint Maarten | Flow/Chippie Sint Maarten (formerly UTS Sint Maarten) | It has the best (4G/LTE) coverage, is the fastest, and allows for free roaming in Chippieland (neighboring territories with Flow/Chippie). | N/A |
| Slovakia | Slovak Telekom (formerly T-Mobile) | It has the fastest speeds and best coverage. | N/A |
| Slovenia | Telekom Slovenije (formerly Mobitel Slovenia/Slovenije) | It is, overall, the best mobile operator. | N/A |
| Solomon Islands | Our Telekom | Best coverage | Although the Solomon Islands has 1 submarine cable, speeds are still slow. The outer islands still use satellites |
| Somalia | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| South Africa | Vodacom South Africa | Best coverage and fastest speeds | N/A |
| South Korea | SK Telecom | It is the fastest mobile operator in the country. Its Korea eSIM Red offer truly unlimited data. SK Telecom's tourist SIM cards (Korea SIM Gold and Korea SIM Purple) also offers unlimited data at slower speeds (5 Mbps and 10 Mbps). | N/A |
| South Ossetia | MegaFon South Ossetia | Only option – monopoly | N/A |
| South Sudan | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Spain | Movistar Spain | It is, overall, the best mobile operator. | Vodafone Spain offers 5G NR to prepaid customers already and has the fastest 5G NR speeds. |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog | It has the best (4G/LTE) coverage nationwide. | Consider Dialog for early 5G NR access. |
| Sudan | Zain Sudan | Best overall | 4G/LTE coverage is limited. Sudani operators have 3G packs for their 3G networks and 4G/LTE packs for their 4G/LTE networks. |
| Suriname | Telesur | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds (more than double Digicel's). It currently offers 5G NR to prepaid customers too. | N/A |
| Sweden | Telia Sweden | It is, overall, the best mobile operator and has the fastest speeds. However, it does not offer free EU/EEA roaming without registration. | N/A |
| Switzerland | Swisscom | It is, overall, the best mobile operator in Switzerland with the best coverage and speeds for literal years | N/A |
| Syria | MTN Syria | Only option – monopoly | It is currently the only mobile operator in Syria. |
| Taiwan | Chunghwa Telecom | It has the best 4G/LTE coverage and the fastest 4G/LTE and 5G NR speeds | N/A |
| Tajikistan | Tcell | Best coverage | N/A |
| Tanzania | Vodacom Tanzania | Best coverage | N/A |
| Thailand | AIS (1-2 Call) | It is the fastest and has the best nationwide coverage, but it is the most expensive (but still affordable to most travelers). | N/A |
| Togo | Togocel | Best overall | N/A |
| Tonga | Digicel Tonga | Highest speeds but limited coverage | N/A |
| Transnistria | Interdnestrcom (IDC) | Only option – monopoly | It is currently the only mobile operator in Transnistria. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Digicel Trinidad and Tobago | Its 4G/LTE coverage is almost nationwide, whereas Bmobile's 4G/LTE reception is limited. Moreover, Digicel has the fastest speeds. Do consider Bmobile for unlimited data plans at slower speeds. | N/A |
| Tunisia | Ooredoo Tunisia | Good coverage and fastest speeds | N/A |
| Turkey | Turkcell | It has the fastest speeds in the country and extensive coverate. | N/A |
| Turkmenistan | TM Cell | Only choice (GSM). Ay Nazar uses CMDA (incompatible with most phones) | N/A |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Digicel Turks and Caicos | It has the best coverage and the fastest speeds. Moreover, Digicel also has attractive plans (Prime Bundles) with dedicated data allowances for Prime apps, TikTok & YouTube (up to 35 GB/app). | N/A |
| Tuvalu | Tuvalu Telecom | Only choice – monopoly | Tuvalu still uses satellites for internet. Therefore, mobile data is slow and expensive |
| Uganda | MTN Uganda | Best coverage | If you want to use social media in Uganda, you have to pay a Social Media tax of 200 UGX. Unfortunately, this applies to VPN use because Ugandans used VPNs to access social media without paying the tax |
| Ukraine | Kyivstar | Best coverage | N/A |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | Etisalat UAE | It is the fastest mobile network operator and has the best coverage. | Etisalat has a strict policy of only selling tourist SIM cards to short-term visitors. |
| United Kingdom (UK) | EE | It is the best overall without free EU roaming anymore. | Consider Three/3 UK if you want to use/test 5G NR – it has the fastest speeds. Besides that, it is the worst Main Operator |
| United States (USA) | Multiple | See Notes | I recommend going with AT&T, T-Mobile, Google Fi, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, or Ultra Mobile. They offer the best value, options, and quality compared to the competition. |
| US Virgin Islands | Liberty USVI (formerly AT&T) | It has extensive coverage and already offering 5G NR to prepaid customers (one plan only). | N/A |
| Uruguay | Antel Uruguay | It has the best coverage and has great network performance. | N/A |
| Uzbekistan | Ucell | Best overall | N/A |
| Vanuatu | Digicel Vanuatu | It has attractive plans with dedicated data allowances for Digicel apps. | The difference between the two networks has become minimal in recent years. |
| Vatican City | See Italy | See Italy | The Vatican City does not have any operators. Italian operators cover the Vatican City instead |
| Venezuela | See notes | See notes | You cannot buy a Venezuelan SIM card unless you have the right to live there (citizen or resident) |
| Vietnam | Viettel Mobile | It has fast speeds and extensive coverage. | MobiFone is not bad and allows you to customize your plans. |
| Wallis and Futuna | Manuia | Only option – monopoly | Data is CRAZY EXPENSIVE in Wallis and Futuna. 10 000 XPF is about 86 USD! |
| Yemen | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Zambia | MTN Zambia | Best overall | 0.30 ZMK daily tax if planning on using VoIP services |
| Zimbabwe | Econet Zimbabwe | Best overall | Mobile data is expensive for African standards |