Which eSIM network is best in India?

India is a federal country, and the signal coverage and network speed of operators in different regions vary greatly. The mainstream eSIM card operators in India include Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea. Choose the operator that best suits your needs, not only to obtain the best network speed, but also to provide convenience for your travel. Stay away from problems such as unable to open web pages, game freezes and inability to locate. Moreover, the overall communication cost in India is relatively low (even for 4G/5G), so it is recommended to choose the fastest one as much as possible. Here are some suggestions for International eSIM for traveling to the India.

Table of Contents

1. Airtel — Best Choice

2. Vodafone Idea (Vi) — International Brand

3. BSNL— It’s a Steal

4. Brief introduction to Bytesim eSIM Card for India

5. Advantages and disadvantages of the Bytesim prepaid eSIM for the India

1. Airtel — Best Choice

1.1 About Bharti Airtel

Airtel is the best telecom operator in India (ranked first in India), 4G standard TD-LTE, so strong that there is a signal (2G) throughout the desert camel ride, and the penetration rate is also the highest in India. The use of technology is also the most advanced in India, I personally recommend Airtel as the first choice.

1.2 3G / 4G / 5G Airtel Network Coverage map in India

This map represents the coverage of Airtel 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network.

Internet coverage map in Aruba. Source: nperf.com

[2G] Almost all coverage (including most of the desert)

[3G] More than 200 cities (standard WCDMA)

[4G] Covering 36 major cities and most areas (standard TD-LTE 2300MHz)

1.3 Mobile Download Speed Experience and Video Experience

© Opensignal Limited

Airtel is the absolute winner of the Video Experience Award and the test data shows that users in India enjoy the best quality experience streaming video on their smartphones over Airtel's mobile network. Airtel led with 41 points for video experience (100 points full), and Jio came second with 40.4 points. Other Vi and BSNL scored poorly, less than 40 points.

Traveling in India, whether YouTube or Tiktok is an app that focuses on the experience of mobile video streaming services.

Vi lost to Airtel again in terms of download speed. Airtel achieved the fastest overall download speed on its network, averaging 13.6 Mbps, 2.5% faster than Vi and 4.8% faster than Jio. However, the worst download experience was BSNL, which was significantly behind 3 Mbps.

1.4. Price of the eSIM for India

For more details, please see Bytesim esim for india

2. Vodafone Idea (Vi) — International Brand

2.1 About Vi

The predecessor of Vi is Vodafone and Idea. Vodafone is an internationally renowned operator and ranks second in India. Vi do have great plans and amazing offers but still connectivity is the worst. Vi has the worst indoor coverage and unstable network speed. Overall in many remote areas it may not work like in remote villages of Himachal Pradesh, Northeast. In Ladakh also no prepaid SIMs work. In Jammu and Kashmir there may be connectivity issue. VI cards don't work in most of the Lakshdweep islands. Vi is totally fine if only traveling in big cities.

2.2 3G / 4G / 5G Vi Network Coverage map in India

This map represents the coverage of Vi 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network.

Internet coverage map in Aruba. Source: nperf.com

3. BSNL— It’s a Steal

3.1 About BSNL

BSNL is a state-owned telecommunications company in India. BSNL is generally considered inferior to other telecommunications companies in most cases, but still better in the following aspects:

👍Call and Data Prices: Even though BSNL has increased the prices, it is still much cheaper than Airtel, VI and Jio.

👍 BSNL network availability is adequate for calls and texts.

👍 3G Internet speeds up to 5–8 Mbps if you live near a tower.

If you want a number just for calls and limited internet usage then BSNL will be the best, its internet is good enough for internet texting and web browsing.

The disadvantages of BSNL are:

👎 Most of India does not have 4G coverage, so choosing BSNL for web browsing and streaming is not a good idea.

👎 Sometimes calls and texts stop working for a day or two during the festive season, which has not been observed in any other carrier.

3.2 3G / 4G / 5G BSNL Network Coverage map in India

This map represents the coverage of BSNL 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network.

Internet coverage map in Aruba. Source: nperf.com

4. Brief introduction to Bytesim eSIM Card for India

An option we have to talk about is the Bytesim eSIM card for India. Compared with other ISP, They especially provide you with free switching between multiple operators for better signal quality and high-speed data. Of course, it is recommended to choose Airtel in most Indian regions.

There are some benefits for people to think about, such as:

• Unlimited data plans in India.
• Access to local networks.
• 4G connections in most cases.
• Customer support 24/7.
• Keep your WhatsApp number.

Disadvantages of the SIM card

• The Bytesim eSIM service does not include international calls and SMS.
• Be sure to activate within 30 days after purchase.

As for now, the Bytesim eSIM card for India has about 50 plans to offer, and people can get unlimited data mobile data from 3 to 30 days.

5. Advantages and disadvantages of the Bytesim prepaid eSIM for the India

When purchasing eSIM from the company, you should consider its advantages and disadvantages:

Some advantages of India Bytesim prepaid eSIM

• Scanning the QR code from the email address is very easy, and you can connect to the Internet immediately.
• It is supported by Airtel coverage and may be the best operator in India.
• You will be able to share data with your peers.
• Timely and considerate high-quality customer service. If you have any questions or problems, you can contact them 24 hours a day via whatsup or email.
• You can have a dual SIM card with a local card, if you want.

Some disadvantages of eSIM Using Mobile Internet in India

• The eSIM plan only includes data plans, so you will not be able to make calls or send or receive text messages.
• Not all phones are compatible with eSIM. The following mobile phone models are mainly supported: Apple: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 13 Mini, iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 Mini, iPhone SE, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone XR. Samsung，Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, Ultra 5G, S22, Samsung Fold LTE model，Samsung Z Flip 4，Samsung Z Fold 4, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip，Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G，Samsung Galaxy Fold, Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Ultra 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE 5G, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE, Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra. Google Pixel, Google Pixel 7 Pro, Google Pixel 7, Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 5a 5G, Google Pixel 5, Google Pixel 4a, Google Pixel 4, Google Pixel 3 & 3XL (Limited support), Google Pixel 2. For more details, please see eSIM compatible devices