The Benefits of eSIMs for Marine Services

If you work in marine services, your definition of working remotely might differ from most people’s. Spending months at a time at sea is not for everyone, and can take a heavy toll on the seafarers who experience it. Sailors and mariners sacrifice time with family and friends in order to carry out their important work, often missing out on milestones and moments that the rest of us take for granted.

 

When you spend most of your time out at sea, communication is of the utmost importance. Without reliable connectivity, those working in maritime industries run the risk of isolating themselves, which can lead to poor mental health and compromised work.

 

Let’s take a look at how eSIMs can help those in marine services to stay connected to the world around them and carry out their work while at sea.

Understanding eSIMs: A brief overview

Here’s a quick recap on just what eSIMs are, how they work, and why they’re important to the future of telecommunications.

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is essentially a virtual SIM card that exists in the circuitry already embedded in your smartphone or tablet.

How does an eSIM work?

Instead of being removed and replaced like a physical SIM card, eSIMs are activated remotely, and data profiles are switched between through your mobile data settings. Providing users with plans for data, SMS and phone call credit, eSIMs do everything that SIM cards do, but in a more convenient way. 

Why eSIMs are transforming telecommunications

It’s hard to find a way in which eSIMs aren’t improving telecommunications. Almost every phone manufactured in recent years will be eSIM compatible – and soon, many phones may even be eSIM only, like the trailblazing iPhone 14. 

 

The main benefit of eSIMs is how easy they make it to switch between data plans and providers – something that has previously made travel complicated and often expensive. If you find yourself frequently passing through multiple countries and struggling to stay on top of your roaming charges, eSIMs could be the answer to your prayers. For those in marine services who may struggle to keep track of the borders they’re crossing, it could be the key to keeping in touch with colleagues or loved ones back home.

Why marine services need eSIMs

Here are just some of the ways in which eSIMs can have a positive impact on marine services.

The challenges of communication at sea

• The time you spend in different countries may be indefinite and difficult to plan for, making purchasing physical SIM cards for your journey ahead of time impossible.
• Reliable, secure connectivity is needed for carrying out any important transactions at sea, both personal and business-related.
• In order to be serviced by various companied, ships will often have to dock in specific ports. This means that constant travel is often a necessity. 

Marine communication should be reliable and seamless

Keeping on top of world events, confidently navigating language barriers, and carrying out essential communications should be easy for seafarers to do, but this is not often the case. As well as these practicalities, less than 25% of ships have Wi-Fi, and with loneliness being a leading cause of poor mental health for seafarers, communication is also important for keeping crews healthy in heart and mind. 

 

Using eSIMs, which can be activated on the go and connect travelers to the best local networks, would be a huge benefit to the maritime industry.

How eSIMs address marine communication challenges

Here are some of the other ways in which eSIMs can help to tackle the communication issues found at sea. 

Enhancing real-time tracking with eSIMs

eSIMs are already being used to keep track of fleets of vehicles, and this technology definitely has uses aboard ships. On a smaller scale they can also be used to track and prevent the theft of handheld devices, as they are permanently attached to the device and unable to be removed and discarded like physical SIM cards.

Global roaming made easy with eSIMs

The most obvious use for eSIMs is the help they can provide when roaming. Being able to manage multiple data profiles on one eSIM makes it easy to connect to local networks when traveling between different countries – for example, when moving back and forth through a trade route. They prevent the need to purchase physical SIM cards, which may be tricky to obtain and keep track of while at sea. 

Streamlining device management at sea

As part of the Internet of Things (IoT), eSIMs are useful for more devices than just smartphones. The fact that they allow for remote access and management is excellent for troubleshooting devices from a distance – a perfect feature for equipment used far out at sea, which needs to be monitored and maintained from inland. 

How to implement eSIMs in your marine service

If you’re looking to start incorporating eSIMs into your area of marine services, whether for personal or business use, here’s how you can get started.

Choosing the right eSIM provider

Look for an eSIM provider that offers coverage in the destinations you’re likely to frequent. Prices and plans often vary between regions, with different packages recommended for different destinations, such as Europe or Asia. 

Ensuring device compatibility with eSIMs

While most modern devices (made after 2018) are eSIM compatible, it’s important to double check that yours is eSIM enabled before buying an eSIM plan. If eSIMs aren’t an option, you may benefit from international SIM cards instead.

The step-by-step process of switching to eSIMs

Installing and activating eSIMs is most commonly done through scanning a unique QR code and adding your chosen plan through your mobile data settings. For TravelSim products, this means selecting TravelSim as your service provider, and turning off mobile data switching so as to avoid the risk of unexpected roaming charges. It’s really as easy as that. 

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