SimWallet is the On-Demand Internet App from Odido, powered by 1GLOBAL

Introducing SimWallet: the app that provides instant 5G access with no contract 

The ongoing spread of 5G networks is making it easier than ever to access high-speed mobile internet around the world. From businesses supplying their employees with 5G data plans to holidaymakers purchasing temporary roaming packages abroad, technological advancements like eSIMs have made data roaming more approachable, affordable, and easy to use.

Gaining access to mobile data, and especially 5G bandwidths, can often involve a lengthy mobile phone contract with a network provider that locks customers in for months or even years. New developments like the rise of cellular smartwatches have exposed a growing demand in consumer mobile habits: temporary high-speed mobile data access, with no strings attached.

Whether it’s travelling to a new country, working on-the-go, or accessing the internet during a local Wi-Fi outage, there are countless situations where people require short-term access to mobile internet.

The Netherlands’ largest mobile operator Odido has addressed this gap with their new service, SimWallet.

What is SimWallet?

SimWallet is an app that promises simple access to on-demand 5G mobile internet for as little as a day or as long as a month.

The app allows anyone in the Netherlands to purchase short-term, one-off passes to Odido’s 5G network and roam with unlimited mobile data for the length of their purchase. This time-based pricing strategy makes it simpler than ever to keep track of data usage and budget accordingly.

Fixed-volume data plans can be a headache to manage, requiring constant monitoring of data usage. They can also expose users to hidden costs, where any data usage over the agreed limit can incur steep surcharges. SimWallet instead aims for simplicity and transparency, offering users an ‘all-you-can-browse' experience within a fixed time frame. All information and functionalities of the service are contained entirely within the SimWallet app.

Crucially, SimWallet is available to anyone in the Netherlands, not just Odido customers or Dutch residents. Users aren’t expected to join Odido, nor are they required to enter any long-term agreements: the focus of SimWallet is on one-off experiences, with no recurring costs or hidden fees. Users choose a 24-hour or one-month pass and browse as much as they want within that period. If they wish to extend it, they can always book another pass.

• No need to replace a SIM: Unlike a local SIM card, SimWallet users can access local 5G data while keeping their regular SIM card or eSIM firmly in their phone. As well as saving the hassle of replacing and keeping track of multiple tiny plastic cards, this also makes it easier to retain access to any information, such as contacts and messages that are saved on their regular SIM card memory.

• Multi-device support: SimWallet works on any device with an eSIM. Increasingly, this includes devices like tablets, smartwatches, and laptops as well as phones.

• Instant Access: As an eSIM-based service, SimWallet provides users access to mobile data as soon as they sign up. There’s no need to stand in line or wait for a SIM card to be delivered: users conduct the entire process within the app, in under three minutes.

• Unlimited data: Many short-term SIMs are sold with fixed data volumes. When the data limit is reached, the SIM either loses mobile connection, or continues to provide mobile data at a more expensive rate. Using one is often an exercise in restraint, requiring constant checking of the remaining data allowance and speculative estimates of the data needed for certain tasks like streaming a video or calling a taxi. SimWallet’s time-based pricing takes any guesswork out of using mobile data – users simply roam as much as they need for as long as they booked it for.

• Shareable: Unlike a SIM card mobile package, SimWallet passes can be sent and used to anyone in the Netherlands with an eSIM device. This has a number of possible uses: parents can book temporary internet access for their children, for example, or employers can purchase one-time data packages for their travelling team members.

How does SimWallet work?

SimWallet is made possible by Odido’s partnership with the digital telecommunications provider 1GLOBAL. 1GLOBAL is a mobile network operator and eSIM services provider with a global core mobile network that provides 5G coverage across 190+ countries. 1GLOBAL’s proprietary eSIM API allows partners to incorporate white-labelled eSIM services into their own products, diversifying their mobile offering while retaining a coherent customer experience. SimWallet is powered by the 1GLOBAL API VoX, one of a suite of custom-designed 1GLOBAL APIs that can be integrated into digital platforms across industries, from fintech to telecommunications, aviation, and entertainment platforms.

Much of the appeal of SimWallet lies in the way it blends impressive technical capabilities with a transparent pricing model, simple concept and appealing UI. The ongoing rise in eSIM adoption among the public is likely to inspire new services like SimWallet that harness the latest in eSIM tech to explore truly useful new telco services.