Data app ban in India could cost me dear

Q We are travelling to India next week – and we have discovered from previous visits that WhatsApp is essential when travelling around as a tourist: drivers, hotels and guides all want to communicate with visitors this way. However, we are worried because a friend who is already out there says he cannot download the Holafly eSim, which we have always relied on to get affordable local data roaming.

We could switch on roaming – but our operator, O2, charges astronomical fees in India: data costs £7.20 per megabyte and I know from experience that you can use that up in a few minutes online. Please can you let us know why this issue has arisen and whether there is any other way of accessing a local data package during our forthcoming trip?

– Alan Bond

A Apparently, the Indian government discovered that apps including Holafly and Airalo were being used by fraudsters to obtain unauthorised eSims with international phone numbers, enabling them to commit cybercrimes. The government insisted that Apple and Google take down access to the apps in India, which they have done.

However, you do have a couple of options if you have an “unlocked” phone. You can buy a physical Sim card from any branch of Airtel in India if you show your passport, or you can buy an eSim data package. I know of two providers that offer these: Singapore-based Nomad (getnomad.app) and Canada-based aloSIM (alosim.com). But first check that your mobile phone will support these apps, as older models (before iPhone 11, for example) may not.

My understanding is that while the banned apps provided an eSim attached to a specific international phone number, these apps are data-only and therefore allowed by the authorities.

I downloaded a data package using Nomad and it was simplicity itself, with very clear instructions for installing the QR code needed to access the data package and activate the connection.

A spokeswoman for aloSIM says it is best to install a travel eSim at home, as it requires a good strong internet connection for several minutes to complete the set up. You can activate it once you have arrived at your destination.

Nomad and aloSIM offer a wide variety of data packages in more than 170 countries, and the savings are considerable. A 5GB package should be sufficient if you are using data for mapping, WhatsApp, email, checking tourist websites and reading The Telegraph online, for example.

It costs US$12-$15 (£9.50-£12) for 30 days in most countries including India, Turkey, South Africa and Japan – all expensive places if using your network provider’s data roaming. Some countries cost a little more: a similar 5GB data package for the United States, Mexico or Kenya comes in at around £25.