The eSIM market has witnessed a surge in growth, revolutionizing how travelers stay connected across the globe. Amidst this wave of innovation, GigSky has emerged as a standout provider, uniquely positioned to address the diverse connectivity needs of modern travelers. With over a decade of experience in the market, Gigsky has built a reputation for delivering seamless mobile data solutions that cater to every journey, whether by plane, train, or cruise ship.

Gigsky’s offerings go beyond traditional data plans. They provide specialized services for travelers, such as internet connectivity on planes and cruise ships, ensuring customers can stay connected from takeoff to docking. For business clients, Gigsky offers tailored Enterprise Solutions that enable companies to manage their mobile data needs efficiently, providing their teams with secure, reliable connectivity across the globe. With its global eSIM platform, Gigsky offers a wide range of data plans designed to meet various individual and corporate requirements—from short-term packages for quick getaways to comprehensive plans for business travelers and digital nomads.

What sets Gigsky apart is its commitment to a hassle-free user experience. By partnering with over 500 mobile networks worldwide, Gigsky guarantees reliable coverage across more than 190 countries, all without the need for physical SIM cards. This flexibility allows users to easily switch between different data plans and regions, making connectivity as simple as a few taps on their devices.

In this interview, Stuart Shaul, Gigsky’s Head of Marketing, will delve deeper into the company’s innovative approach to mobile connectivity, including their unique offerings for air and sea travelers, and their robust Enterprise Solutions.

He will share insights into how Gigsky is reshaping the travel experience through its cutting-edge eSIM technology and what’s next for the company in the rapidly evolving landscape of global mobile services.

Staying connected while you travel is now easier and cheaper than it has ever been. With a few taps, you and your travel companions can have high-quality, secure cellular data no matter where you travel.

Q1. GigSky was one of the early adopters of eSIM technology. What motivated you to be at the forefront of this innovation? What unique challenges did GigSky face as an early player in the eSIM market, and how did you overcome them?

GigSky has long been an innovator in the telecommunications space and the advent of eSIMs is not exception. GigSky had already been involved in the SIM card market and began working on an eSIM type of product. When Apple announced that eSIMs were to be included on iPhones in 2018 and invited GigSky to be one of their launch partners, we were delighted. As an early player, we experienced the unique challenge of building awareness with our audience. Even today, the awareness of eSIMs and how they can be used to save you money when you travel is still low.

Q2. GigSky has been ahead of the curve in offering data plans for cruises and in-flight connectivity, providing these options well before many other providers entered this space. What led GigSky to identify the demand for such specialized plans, and how have you seen this early adoption benefit your customers?

GigSky has a major advantage over our competitors in that we are a ‘heavy’ MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). What this means is that we actually set up and provision our own eSIMs and manage our mobile network. Most others just resell other people’s eSIMs.

In addition to being able to provide a much simpler customer experience and expanded support, this also allows us to partner with any type of network and create unique offerings like our Cruise + Land plan. We’d been working with the Cellular at Sea network and our research showed that customers had frustrations needing multiple (expensive) plans to stay connected on the ship and onshore. We were able to create our unique offering and sales and exploded through the summer with the busy cruise season in both Europe and the Caribbean.

Q3. What have been some of the most significant milestones or achievements for GigSky so far?

Well, being one of the launch partners with Apple when the eSIM was first introduced was a great honor. From there, continuing to be a pioneer in the eSIM space through the years is also a great achievement.

Q4. What’s your top advice for travelers looking to maximize their connectivity while abroad?

These are a number of steps to consider to maximize your connectivity while abroad. First, is to be aware of what activities use the most data. High-definition video is the biggest culprit so we would alway suggest using a hotel Wi-Fi for longer video streaming sessions and, while on cellular, do so at a lower resolution. On the other hand, key activities while you are on the move, like using a maps program for navigation, checking email and social, or streaming music, actually use a very limited amount of data so customers should feel comfortable using these as much as they need. Turning off any apps that work in the background is the other key tip to maximizing any data plan you purchase. Lastly, testing apps, like WhatsApp that allow you to both text and use your phone over a data connection, are an ideal way to stay in touch.

Q5. What’s a travel gadget or app that you absolutely cannot live without?

Well, outside of my phone, I would say that is actually my tablet. I never leave for a trip without downloading a bunch of TV shows or movies I want to watch, a couple of books and more. I find the extra screen size makes the experience a lot more enjoyable compared to one’s phone and it also make doing any office work I have a lot easier.

Q6. Is there a particular destination, anywhere in the world, that has inspired you the most, either personally or professionally, and why?

From a professional standpoint, my family trip to Italy was always the most inspirational. I’d just started working with GigSky and never even heard of eSIMs before. It had only been a year earlier when I’d experienced the challenges of staying connected – high roaming rates from my carrier, 3 kids upset that they had to tether off my phone and some poor connections in certain locations. On this trip, the whole family used GigSky – and the cost of 5 of us having full use of our phones was still less than just one of us roaming. It changed travel with a family forever.

Q7. Can you explain the benefits of GigSky’s partnerships with major device manufacturers like Apple, and how it enhances the user experience?

Our partnership with Apple definitely makes it a smoother experience for customers. Since we are able to provision our own eSIMs, customers can easily add an eSIM with a few simple clicks and not have to try and scan a QR code that’s on your phone and you can’t easily scan. Second, with GigSky, you only ever need to download one eSIM. Any plan we sell can be used with that one eSIM. For a lot of others who don’t have that relationship, every new package is a new eSIM.

Q8. How does GigSky plan to stay ahead in the eSIM market as new competitors emerge and technology continues to advance?

Staying ahead of new competitors happens in several ways. First and foremost is the customer experience. We need to continue to make it as easy as possible to use our service, continue to work only with high-quality networks and have competitive prices. If we continue to do those things, we know that we’ll be the eSIM of choice for people.

Q9. How do you see the role of eSIM technology evolving in the travel experience?

As eSIMs provide a low-cost way to stay connected without roaming fees, it will remove one of the biggest frustrations travelers have and allow you to freely use your phone in a way that enhances your trip – navigating with maps, social on social and the security of knowing you are connected in case of emergency.

Q10. Is there a particular product or service you’d recommend for first-time users of GigSky? Many users aren’t aware of the possibility of a free trial which includes 100 MB.

The free plan is a great way to try out an eSIM without any commitment.

In fact, we have many consumers who actually use the 100 MB free plan at home to make sure they have the eSIM all set up. Then, when they arrive at their destination they can choose a second plan and know it will be working when they land.

Q11. Do you have any special promotions or partnerships coming up that you can share with us? Are there any upcoming projects or launches that you’d like to highlight for our readers?

We regularly run promotions for our customers. Sometimes it is off all plans, sometimes we like to focus on special events. We had a 50% off sale, for example, for any France plan during the Olympics. We do have a couple of exciting promotions coming up soon. One will offer an exclusive discount on our Unlimited data plans. We’re eager for everyone to feel the freedom of Unlimited data. For the holidays, we’ll have some special promotions from our Cruise plans.

Q12. What’s one key takeaway you hope readers will gain from this interview?

I really hope they will understand that staying connected while you travel is now easier and cheaper than it has ever been. With a few taps, you and your travel companions can have high-quality, secure cellular data no matter where you travel.

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