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data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to $25 million per year for up to five years in order to accommodate an urgent, “multiplied” demand for data that can identify “unaccompanied minors” as well as anyone involved with “any type of fraud of government funds,” according to a document published in a federal contract register on Tuesday.

“Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.”

The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children entering the country” to ensure the children’s “welfare and safety.”

The annual payment of $25 million marks a dramatic increase in the value of Thomson Reuters’ work with ICE. The previous equivalent contract was worth $24 million total over a five-year period.

Though ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008, the contract justification indicates that the Trump administration hopes to expand the scope of how Thomson Reuters data is used by federal immigration officials. It is yet another indicator of the ever-expanding reach of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims in the document that Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is “the only contractor” that can provide “continuous monitoring of up to one million individuals and entities” with “event-driven monitoring,” “real-time alerts,” and “model-based risk scoring.” The document did not provide examples of said events or risks.

The contract would maintain ICE’s access to several proprietary Thomson Reuters databases, the document says. One of these databases is the Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting (CLEAR), which provides access to public records and “license plate reader data,” which is sourced from on-road-based surveillance cameras that can read license plates. Since 2017, Thomson Reuters has sourced this data from Vigilant Solutions, an automated license plate reader company that is now owned by Motorola.

Another Thomson Reuters database named in the document is the Continuous Alerting Batch Solution (CABS), which ICE says pulls records about individuals who were recently incarcerated or came into contact with law enforcement, including “real-time alerting on last known location data.”

The contract would also maintain ICE’s access to Westlaw, Thomson Reuters’s court records database. ICE will also have access to Real Time Incarceration and Arrest Records (RTIA and Thomson Reuters Special Services Entity Authority (TEA), which feeds into a “risk intelligence” platform called RAPID, according to Thomson Reuters’s website.

The software bundle that Thomson Reuters sells to ICE, the document claims, enables the agency to conduct “continuous monitoring,” “court document retrieval,” “risk assessments,” and “academic risk flagging.” The document does not explain what constitutes an academic risk.

Representatives for ICE, DHS, and HHS did not respond to requests for comment. A White House spokesperson referred WIRED to DHS and ICE.

Unaccompanied minors, children who arrive in the US alone, are not the purview of ICE. Care for these children is overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is under the umbrella of HHS and operates independently from immigration enforcement. However, in February last year, ICE agents were granted further access to the database that ORR uses to track unaccompanied minors.

#ICE #Data #Broker #Tools #Identify #Unaccompanied #Minors #Fraudimmigration and customs enforcement,department of homeland security,privacy,politics,donald trump,data,data brokers"> ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to renew its contract with a subsidiary of data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to million per year for up to five years in order to accommodate an urgent, “multiplied” demand for data that can identify “unaccompanied minors” as well as anyone involved with “any type of fraud of government funds,” according to a document published in a federal contract register on Tuesday.“Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.”The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children entering the country” to ensure the children’s “welfare and safety.”The annual payment of million marks a dramatic increase in the value of Thomson Reuters’ work with ICE. The previous equivalent contract was worth million total over a five-year period.Though ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008, the contract justification indicates that the Trump administration hopes to expand the scope of how Thomson Reuters data is used by federal immigration officials. It is yet another indicator of the ever-expanding reach of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims in the document that Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is “the only contractor” that can provide “continuous monitoring of up to one million individuals and entities” with “event-driven monitoring,” “real-time alerts,” and “model-based risk scoring.” The document did not provide examples of said events or risks.The contract would maintain ICE’s access to several proprietary Thomson Reuters databases, the document says. One of these databases is the Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting (CLEAR), which provides access to public records and “license plate reader data,” which is sourced from on-road-based surveillance cameras that can read license plates. Since 2017, Thomson Reuters has sourced this data from Vigilant Solutions, an automated license plate reader company that is now owned by Motorola.Another Thomson Reuters database named in the document is the Continuous Alerting Batch Solution (CABS), which ICE says pulls records about individuals who were recently incarcerated or came into contact with law enforcement, including “real-time alerting on last known location data.”The contract would also maintain ICE’s access to Westlaw, Thomson Reuters’s court records database. ICE will also have access to Real Time Incarceration and Arrest Records (RTIA and Thomson Reuters Special Services Entity Authority (TEA), which feeds into a “risk intelligence” platform called RAPID, according to Thomson Reuters’s website.The software bundle that Thomson Reuters sells to ICE, the document claims, enables the agency to conduct “continuous monitoring,” “court document retrieval,” “risk assessments,” and “academic risk flagging.” The document does not explain what constitutes an academic risk.Representatives for ICE, DHS, and HHS did not respond to requests for comment. A White House spokesperson referred WIRED to DHS and ICE.Unaccompanied minors, children who arrive in the US alone, are not the purview of ICE. Care for these children is overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is under the umbrella of HHS and operates independently from immigration enforcement. However, in February last year, ICE agents were granted further access to the database that ORR uses to track unaccompanied minors.#ICE #Data #Broker #Tools #Identify #Unaccompanied #Minors #Fraudimmigration and customs enforcement,department of homeland security,privacy,politics,donald trump,data,data brokers
Tech-news

data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to $25 million per year for up to five years in order to accommodate an urgent, “multiplied” demand for data that can identify “unaccompanied minors” as well as anyone involved with “any type of fraud of government funds,” according to a document published in a federal contract register on Tuesday.

“Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.”

The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children entering the country” to ensure the children’s “welfare and safety.”

The annual payment of $25 million marks a dramatic increase in the value of Thomson Reuters’ work with ICE. The previous equivalent contract was worth $24 million total over a five-year period.

Though ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008, the contract justification indicates that the Trump administration hopes to expand the scope of how Thomson Reuters data is used by federal immigration officials. It is yet another indicator of the ever-expanding reach of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims in the document that Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is “the only contractor” that can provide “continuous monitoring of up to one million individuals and entities” with “event-driven monitoring,” “real-time alerts,” and “model-based risk scoring.” The document did not provide examples of said events or risks.

The contract would maintain ICE’s access to several proprietary Thomson Reuters databases, the document says. One of these databases is the Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting (CLEAR), which provides access to public records and “license plate reader data,” which is sourced from on-road-based surveillance cameras that can read license plates. Since 2017, Thomson Reuters has sourced this data from Vigilant Solutions, an automated license plate reader company that is now owned by Motorola.

Another Thomson Reuters database named in the document is the Continuous Alerting Batch Solution (CABS), which ICE says pulls records about individuals who were recently incarcerated or came into contact with law enforcement, including “real-time alerting on last known location data.”

The contract would also maintain ICE’s access to Westlaw, Thomson Reuters’s court records database. ICE will also have access to Real Time Incarceration and Arrest Records (RTIA and Thomson Reuters Special Services Entity Authority (TEA), which feeds into a “risk intelligence” platform called RAPID, according to Thomson Reuters’s website.

The software bundle that Thomson Reuters sells to ICE, the document claims, enables the agency to conduct “continuous monitoring,” “court document retrieval,” “risk assessments,” and “academic risk flagging.” The document does not explain what constitutes an academic risk.

Representatives for ICE, DHS, and HHS did not respond to requests for comment. A White House spokesperson referred WIRED to DHS and ICE.

Unaccompanied minors, children who arrive in the US alone, are not the purview of ICE. Care for these children is overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is under the umbrella of HHS and operates independently from immigration enforcement. However, in February last year, ICE agents were granted further access to the database that ORR uses to track unaccompanied minors.

#ICE #Data #Broker #Tools #Identify #Unaccompanied #Minors #Fraudimmigration and customs enforcement,department of homeland security,privacy,politics,donald trump,data,data brokers">ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to renew its contract with a subsidiary of data broker giant Thomson Reuters at a rate of up to $25 million per year for up to five years in order to accommodate an urgent, “multiplied” demand for data that can identify “unaccompanied minors” as well as anyone involved with “any type of fraud of government funds,” according to a document published in a federal contract register on Tuesday.

“Due to ICE’s re-prioritized mission,” the document reads, “there is a need for the data to be readily accessible to support the presidential mandate of the identification of Voters fraud, Immigration Fraud, and National Security.”

The document does not explain why ICE would need to identify unaccompanied minors, which is typically the remit of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or how Thomson Reuters’ data would be used to combat voter fraud or immigration fraud. When reached for comment, Thomson Reuters spokesperson Kat Hanley tells WIRED that its identification work for ICE may include “vetting the sponsors of children entering the country” to ensure the children’s “welfare and safety.”

The annual payment of $25 million marks a dramatic increase in the value of Thomson Reuters’ work with ICE. The previous equivalent contract was worth $24 million total over a five-year period.

Though ICE has been buying data from Thomson Reuters since 2008, the contract justification indicates that the Trump administration hopes to expand the scope of how Thomson Reuters data is used by federal immigration officials. It is yet another indicator of the ever-expanding reach of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims in the document that Thomson Reuters Special Services (TRSS) is “the only contractor” that can provide “continuous monitoring of up to one million individuals and entities” with “event-driven monitoring,” “real-time alerts,” and “model-based risk scoring.” The document did not provide examples of said events or risks.

The contract would maintain ICE’s access to several proprietary Thomson Reuters databases, the document says. One of these databases is the Consolidated Lead Evaluation and Reporting (CLEAR), which provides access to public records and “license plate reader data,” which is sourced from on-road-based surveillance cameras that can read license plates. Since 2017, Thomson Reuters has sourced this data from Vigilant Solutions, an automated license plate reader company that is now owned by Motorola.

Another Thomson Reuters database named in the document is the Continuous Alerting Batch Solution (CABS), which ICE says pulls records about individuals who were recently incarcerated or came into contact with law enforcement, including “real-time alerting on last known location data.”

The contract would also maintain ICE’s access to Westlaw, Thomson Reuters’s court records database. ICE will also have access to Real Time Incarceration and Arrest Records (RTIA and Thomson Reuters Special Services Entity Authority (TEA), which feeds into a “risk intelligence” platform called RAPID, according to Thomson Reuters’s website.

The software bundle that Thomson Reuters sells to ICE, the document claims, enables the agency to conduct “continuous monitoring,” “court document retrieval,” “risk assessments,” and “academic risk flagging.” The document does not explain what constitutes an academic risk.

Representatives for ICE, DHS, and HHS did not respond to requests for comment. A White House spokesperson referred WIRED to DHS and ICE.

Unaccompanied minors, children who arrive in the US alone, are not the purview of ICE. Care for these children is overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is under the umbrella of HHS and operates independently from immigration enforcement. However, in February last year, ICE agents were granted further access to the database that ORR uses to track unaccompanied minors.

#ICE #Data #Broker #Tools #Identify #Unaccompanied #Minors #Fraudimmigration and customs enforcement,department of homeland security,privacy,politics,donald trump,data,data brokers

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to renew its contract with a subsidiary of data…

travel eSIMs. This is thanks to how easy eSIMs have become to set up on a phone, and how much more inexpensive their data plans can be when compared to what you’ll pay in international roaming fees.

But Motorola is now making it even more hassle-free by building a native travel eSIM experience into its smartphones.

The capability is initially available as an app customers will have to download from the Google Play Store, called Global Connect, but the app will be preinstalled on new Motorola devices in the future. It’s available for any Motorola phone with eSIM capabilities—including smartphones as cheap as the $180 2026 Moto G Play—though it’s currently only available for use in a handful of Latin American markets: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Motorola says support for use in Germany, the UK, and Europe is coming in the next several weeks. The company didn’t have anything to share about US availability just yet.

Travel eSIMs give travelers an easy way to instantly access a data-only eSIM that works in their destination—even before hopping on a flight. It means you don’t have to stop by a SIM card kiosk at the airport and fuss with physical SIM cards to connect to the internet at your destination. You can top up your data allotment through an app and pay as you go. These eSIMs often don’t include the ability to make calls and send texts, and that’s the case here with Motorola’s solution. (Thankfully, WhatsApp is widely adopted in tourist destinations.)

The service is powered by Gigs, a San Francisco firm that helps companies sell mobile data plans without having to deal with complex telecom negotiations and contracts. It’s the same company behind the mobile plans from Klarna, the buy-now-and-pay-later service, and more recently, Cash App. Motorola says it worked closely with Gigs to make the experience feel like a “Motorola-branded experience” and not a third-party add-on.

While Motorola claims this is the first time a major smartphone manufacturer has embedded a travel eSIM function natively into its phones, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi offered a similar virtual travel SIM function as far back as 2015, though it has since discontinued the feature.

Sudhir Chadaga, vice president for Partnerships at Motorola, says customers have to install the Global Connect app, create a Gigs account, and they’ll get 1 GB for free with their first travel eSIM (available for a limited time), after which they can top up data as needed. Chadaga claims the rates are competitive—$3 for 1 GB for 30 days, up to $14 for 20 GB—and service is available in more than 160 countries. You can continue to use this same travel eSIM for all your travels.

“What we’re trying to do for our consumers is solve that friction point of getting that travel eSIM quickly on the device as they’re heading out to travel,” Chadaga tells WIRED. “With Global Connect, that’s exactly what we’re bringing to our users.”

Travel eSIMs are far cheaper than paying for data while roaming, which is what you’re doing when you rely on your primary carrier to connect you to networks in other countries. Siddhant Cally, a senior analyst on the Networks and Connectivity team at Counterpoint Research, says that in some regions, legacy network operators were offering roaming for half the data but at double the price of travel eSIMs.

The cheaper rates, paired with how easy it is to download and save a travel eSIM on your phone before your trip, have made them incredibly popular. And since you can still use data to make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls or send messages, the limitation of not being able to send or receive text messages or calls from your own number isn’t a big concern. It’s why US carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have tried to counter the challenge of third-party travel eSIM apps to their roaming business with their own travel eSIM options for people entering the US during the World Cup.

#Motorola #Phones #BuiltIn #Travel #eSIM #Mobile #Datamotorola,smartphones,phones,android,sim,travel,data,mobile"> Motorola Phones Now Have a Built-In Travel eSIM for Mobile Data Outside the USThere’s been an explosion in popularity in recent years for travel eSIMs. This is thanks to how easy eSIMs have become to set up on a phone, and how much more inexpensive their data plans can be when compared to what you’ll pay in international roaming fees.But Motorola is now making it even more hassle-free by building a native travel eSIM experience into its smartphones.The capability is initially available as an app customers will have to download from the Google Play Store, called Global Connect, but the app will be preinstalled on new Motorola devices in the future. It’s available for any Motorola phone with eSIM capabilities—including smartphones as cheap as the 0 2026 Moto G Play—though it’s currently only available for use in a handful of Latin American markets: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Motorola says support for use in Germany, the UK, and Europe is coming in the next several weeks. The company didn’t have anything to share about US availability just yet.Travel eSIMs give travelers an easy way to instantly access a data-only eSIM that works in their destination—even before hopping on a flight. It means you don’t have to stop by a SIM card kiosk at the airport and fuss with physical SIM cards to connect to the internet at your destination. You can top up your data allotment through an app and pay as you go. These eSIMs often don’t include the ability to make calls and send texts, and that’s the case here with Motorola’s solution. (Thankfully, WhatsApp is widely adopted in tourist destinations.)The service is powered by Gigs, a San Francisco firm that helps companies sell mobile data plans without having to deal with complex telecom negotiations and contracts. It’s the same company behind the mobile plans from Klarna, the buy-now-and-pay-later service, and more recently, Cash App. Motorola says it worked closely with Gigs to make the experience feel like a “Motorola-branded experience” and not a third-party add-on.While Motorola claims this is the first time a major smartphone manufacturer has embedded a travel eSIM function natively into its phones, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi offered a similar virtual travel SIM function as far back as 2015, though it has since discontinued the feature.Sudhir Chadaga, vice president for Partnerships at Motorola, says customers have to install the Global Connect app, create a Gigs account, and they’ll get 1 GB for free with their first travel eSIM (available for a limited time), after which they can top up data as needed. Chadaga claims the rates are competitive— for 1 GB for 30 days, up to for 20 GB—and service is available in more than 160 countries. You can continue to use this same travel eSIM for all your travels.“What we’re trying to do for our consumers is solve that friction point of getting that travel eSIM quickly on the device as they’re heading out to travel,” Chadaga tells WIRED. “With Global Connect, that’s exactly what we’re bringing to our users.”Travel eSIMs are far cheaper than paying for data while roaming, which is what you’re doing when you rely on your primary carrier to connect you to networks in other countries. Siddhant Cally, a senior analyst on the Networks and Connectivity team at Counterpoint Research, says that in some regions, legacy network operators were offering roaming for half the data but at double the price of travel eSIMs.The cheaper rates, paired with how easy it is to download and save a travel eSIM on your phone before your trip, have made them incredibly popular. And since you can still use data to make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls or send messages, the limitation of not being able to send or receive text messages or calls from your own number isn’t a big concern. It’s why US carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have tried to counter the challenge of third-party travel eSIM apps to their roaming business with their own travel eSIM options for people entering the US during the World Cup.#Motorola #Phones #BuiltIn #Travel #eSIM #Mobile #Datamotorola,smartphones,phones,android,sim,travel,data,mobile
Tech-news

travel eSIMs. This is thanks to how easy eSIMs have become to set up on a phone, and how much more inexpensive their data plans can be when compared to what you’ll pay in international roaming fees.

But Motorola is now making it even more hassle-free by building a native travel eSIM experience into its smartphones.

The capability is initially available as an app customers will have to download from the Google Play Store, called Global Connect, but the app will be preinstalled on new Motorola devices in the future. It’s available for any Motorola phone with eSIM capabilities—including smartphones as cheap as the $180 2026 Moto G Play—though it’s currently only available for use in a handful of Latin American markets: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Motorola says support for use in Germany, the UK, and Europe is coming in the next several weeks. The company didn’t have anything to share about US availability just yet.

Travel eSIMs give travelers an easy way to instantly access a data-only eSIM that works in their destination—even before hopping on a flight. It means you don’t have to stop by a SIM card kiosk at the airport and fuss with physical SIM cards to connect to the internet at your destination. You can top up your data allotment through an app and pay as you go. These eSIMs often don’t include the ability to make calls and send texts, and that’s the case here with Motorola’s solution. (Thankfully, WhatsApp is widely adopted in tourist destinations.)

The service is powered by Gigs, a San Francisco firm that helps companies sell mobile data plans without having to deal with complex telecom negotiations and contracts. It’s the same company behind the mobile plans from Klarna, the buy-now-and-pay-later service, and more recently, Cash App. Motorola says it worked closely with Gigs to make the experience feel like a “Motorola-branded experience” and not a third-party add-on.

While Motorola claims this is the first time a major smartphone manufacturer has embedded a travel eSIM function natively into its phones, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi offered a similar virtual travel SIM function as far back as 2015, though it has since discontinued the feature.

Sudhir Chadaga, vice president for Partnerships at Motorola, says customers have to install the Global Connect app, create a Gigs account, and they’ll get 1 GB for free with their first travel eSIM (available for a limited time), after which they can top up data as needed. Chadaga claims the rates are competitive—$3 for 1 GB for 30 days, up to $14 for 20 GB—and service is available in more than 160 countries. You can continue to use this same travel eSIM for all your travels.

“What we’re trying to do for our consumers is solve that friction point of getting that travel eSIM quickly on the device as they’re heading out to travel,” Chadaga tells WIRED. “With Global Connect, that’s exactly what we’re bringing to our users.”

Travel eSIMs are far cheaper than paying for data while roaming, which is what you’re doing when you rely on your primary carrier to connect you to networks in other countries. Siddhant Cally, a senior analyst on the Networks and Connectivity team at Counterpoint Research, says that in some regions, legacy network operators were offering roaming for half the data but at double the price of travel eSIMs.

The cheaper rates, paired with how easy it is to download and save a travel eSIM on your phone before your trip, have made them incredibly popular. And since you can still use data to make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls or send messages, the limitation of not being able to send or receive text messages or calls from your own number isn’t a big concern. It’s why US carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have tried to counter the challenge of third-party travel eSIM apps to their roaming business with their own travel eSIM options for people entering the US during the World Cup.

#Motorola #Phones #BuiltIn #Travel #eSIM #Mobile #Datamotorola,smartphones,phones,android,sim,travel,data,mobile">Motorola Phones Now Have a Built-In Travel eSIM for Mobile Data Outside the US

There’s been an explosion in popularity in recent years for travel eSIMs. This is thanks to how easy eSIMs have become to set up on a phone, and how much more inexpensive their data plans can be when compared to what you’ll pay in international roaming fees.

But Motorola is now making it even more hassle-free by building a native travel eSIM experience into its smartphones.

The capability is initially available as an app customers will have to download from the Google Play Store, called Global Connect, but the app will be preinstalled on new Motorola devices in the future. It’s available for any Motorola phone with eSIM capabilities—including smartphones as cheap as the $180 2026 Moto G Play—though it’s currently only available for use in a handful of Latin American markets: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile. Motorola says support for use in Germany, the UK, and Europe is coming in the next several weeks. The company didn’t have anything to share about US availability just yet.

Travel eSIMs give travelers an easy way to instantly access a data-only eSIM that works in their destination—even before hopping on a flight. It means you don’t have to stop by a SIM card kiosk at the airport and fuss with physical SIM cards to connect to the internet at your destination. You can top up your data allotment through an app and pay as you go. These eSIMs often don’t include the ability to make calls and send texts, and that’s the case here with Motorola’s solution. (Thankfully, WhatsApp is widely adopted in tourist destinations.)

The service is powered by Gigs, a San Francisco firm that helps companies sell mobile data plans without having to deal with complex telecom negotiations and contracts. It’s the same company behind the mobile plans from Klarna, the buy-now-and-pay-later service, and more recently, Cash App. Motorola says it worked closely with Gigs to make the experience feel like a “Motorola-branded experience” and not a third-party add-on.

While Motorola claims this is the first time a major smartphone manufacturer has embedded a travel eSIM function natively into its phones, Chinese phone maker Xiaomi offered a similar virtual travel SIM function as far back as 2015, though it has since discontinued the feature.

Sudhir Chadaga, vice president for Partnerships at Motorola, says customers have to install the Global Connect app, create a Gigs account, and they’ll get 1 GB for free with their first travel eSIM (available for a limited time), after which they can top up data as needed. Chadaga claims the rates are competitive—$3 for 1 GB for 30 days, up to $14 for 20 GB—and service is available in more than 160 countries. You can continue to use this same travel eSIM for all your travels.

“What we’re trying to do for our consumers is solve that friction point of getting that travel eSIM quickly on the device as they’re heading out to travel,” Chadaga tells WIRED. “With Global Connect, that’s exactly what we’re bringing to our users.”

Travel eSIMs are far cheaper than paying for data while roaming, which is what you’re doing when you rely on your primary carrier to connect you to networks in other countries. Siddhant Cally, a senior analyst on the Networks and Connectivity team at Counterpoint Research, says that in some regions, legacy network operators were offering roaming for half the data but at double the price of travel eSIMs.

The cheaper rates, paired with how easy it is to download and save a travel eSIM on your phone before your trip, have made them incredibly popular. And since you can still use data to make WhatsApp or FaceTime calls or send messages, the limitation of not being able to send or receive text messages or calls from your own number isn’t a big concern. It’s why US carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T have tried to counter the challenge of third-party travel eSIM apps to their roaming business with their own travel eSIM options for people entering the US during the World Cup.

#Motorola #Phones #BuiltIn #Travel #eSIM #Mobile #Datamotorola,smartphones,phones,android,sim,travel,data,mobile

There’s been an explosion in popularity in recent years for travel eSIMs. This is thanks…