Roaming Revenue Set to Fall $4.3 Billion by 2031: What Juniper's 2026 Forecast Means for Your Next Trip
Juniper Research expects global retail roaming revenue to drop from $15.6 billion in 2026 to $11.3 billion by 2031 as travel eSIMs and price caps bite. Here is what that shift means for what you pay abroad.
Traditional international roaming is shrinking, and the numbers are now on the table. According to Juniper Research, global retail roaming revenue will be about $15.6 billion in 2026 and fall to $11.3 billion by 2031 — a drop of roughly $4.3 billion, or close to 28%. The analysis, highlighted by TelecomLead on October 13, 2026, points to two forces: regulators capping what carriers can charge, and travelers switching to travel eSIMs.
What happened
Juniper separates two things that often get lumped together: retail roaming (using your home SIM abroad and paying your carrier for it) and travel eSIM plans bought specifically for a trip. The first is the one in decline. The second is where growth is moving — a separate Juniper figure cited by KnowRoaming in October 2026 projects travel eSIM revenue rising about 380% between 2025 and 2030.
Juniper also flags travel bookings as a key new sales channel. Airlines, travel agencies and booking platforms can now sell connectivity before you leave, getting in front of the traveler before the home carrier does.
How carriers are responding
The 2026 market shows very different strategies:
- Verizon TravelPass costs $12 per line per day in more than 210 destinations. After 5GB of high-speed data, speeds drop for the rest of the session. A 24-hour session starts when you use service abroad — and background data can trigger it. Seven days at the standard rate is $84 for one line, before taxes and fees.
- AT&T International Day Pass is also $12 per day, with extra lines used on the same day at $6 each, plus a $20/day cruise option covering 400+ ships.
- T-Mobile includes up to 5GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries on eligible Go5G Next and Go5G Plus plans, then slows you down.
- Airtel in India started bundling a free five-day roaming pack (5GB, 60 minutes, 25 SMS) into revised postpaid plans from October 8, 2026 — while raising prices. We covered that move in Airtel's postpaid hike and free roaming pack.
- Orange and Vodafone now sell travel eSIMs to customers of any network. Orange's Trip.com partnership (from June 2026) starts at €8.99, with 20GB–100GB packs for France, Italy, Spain, the UK and Switzerland. Vodafone's travel eSIM covers 206 destinations on 700 networks, with packs from 1GB to 150GB valid up to 90 days — data only.
- Air India launched its EasyRoam travel SIM with Tata Communications in October 2026, starting with 30 countries and plans from Rs 241.
Why it matters to travelers
A shrinking roaming pie does not automatically mean cheaper roaming. Daily passes at $12 remain the default for millions of US travelers, and they still punish longer trips: two weeks on TravelPass is $168 for one line. What is changing is choice. Carriers, airlines and booking sites are all now competing for your trip data, which pushes prices on travel eSIMs down and makes them easier to find.
The other takeaway: the convenience gap is closing. Home carriers win on "do nothing and keep your number." But with eSIM, you can keep your home line active for calls and SMS and simply add a data plan for the trip — no store visit, no swapping plastic.
For a full breakdown of the US day-pass prices, see our AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile day pass comparison.
What to do before your next trip
- Do the math per trip, not per day. Multiply your carrier's daily rate by the number of days you will actually be abroad. Above three or four days, a travel eSIM usually wins.
- Watch for background-data triggers. If you rely on a day pass, turn off data roaming on your home line until you really need it.
- Use dual SIM. Keep your home number on for calls and two-factor codes, and set the travel eSIM as your data line.
- Check compatibility first. Most phones from the last few years support eSIM, but carrier-locked devices may not accept a second profile.
- Compare per-GB, not just headline price. Unlimited plans often come with fair-use limits; fixed-data plans can be cheaper if you mostly use maps and messaging.
Travel eSIM providers such as HOLASIM let you install the plan at home over Wi-Fi and have data the moment you land — exactly the behavior Juniper says is eating into the $15.6 billion roaming market.