There are hundreds of telecoms in the world providing internet services to their mobile network subscribers. In such a scenario, it is difficult to choose the best SIM card for the internet. That’s because the big names in the telecom sector worldwide aren’t necessarily the top choice for using the internet on your smartphone. People are increasingly relying on mobile data, as it is handy and portable to use from anywhere and anytime. Moreover, modern internet speeds are increasing to reach the fastest possible level. Almost all people around the world are connected and doing their daily business through their smartphones.
Thus, we can say that the mobile internet is growing and developing at a much faster rate than before. The internet speeds are getting faster, and the coverage is getting better. Let’s find out which top 10 SIM cards across the world provide the fastest and most reliable internet services to their users.
1. Etisalat
Etisalat, the largest telecom company in the United Arab Emirates, took the crown among the leading SIM cards for the Internet. It has the fastest internet speed in the world with an average download speed of 193.88 Mbps and its overall Speed Score is 153.05. It gives the best experience in terms of wireless internet access because of its reliable network in the UAE. Although the internet is not cheap in the country, for the services and speed it offers, it’s undoubtedly worth paying for.
Etisalat also has introduced an internet speed upgrade of up to 1 Gbps which will bring tremendous value to its existing and new business customers in the country. The customers who pick this particular plan will also reap benefits such as getting free devices and digital and communication solutions, as well as flexible/increased calling minutes, and more.
2. SK Telecom
SK Telecom, which stands for South Korea Telecom, is a telecommunications giant in the country. It is the second-fastest mobile internet provider at an average score of 147.06 per the Speedtest Report 2021. The company has amassed renown by creating creative services and products with the help of advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 5G. Recently, SK Telecom has announced plans to launch online-only mobile plans to give better services to its subscribers by reducing the price burden and expanding options for mobile price plans. These plans will reduce the cost by 30% and the customers won’t need to abide by a contract with SK Telecom.
3. Ooredoo Qatar
Ooredoo is the largest telecom company in Qatar. It stood third on the Speedtest Award Report 2021 with an average score of 145.13 for internet speed in the world. In Qatar, it provides high-speed internet at affordable rates. You can have 250 MB for 20 QR (Qatari Rial), 1 GB of data for 60 QR, 3 GB for QR 80, 6 GB for 100 QR, 15 GB for 200 QR, and unlimited data for 400 QR. It was the first mobile operator in the world to launch 5G. Ooredoo has more than 150 million customers worldwide. It offers very fast 4G/LTE services at cheap rates to its subscribers within the country. Its average mobile internet download speed is 23.1 Mbps and its average upload speed is 23.26 Mbps based on the Speedtest Report of 2021.
4. STC
STC stands for Saudi Telecommunications Company and is the largest telecom company in Saudi Arabia. It is on the 4th spot for the fastest speed of internet per the Speedtest 2021 report with an average score of 111.74. The average mobile internet download speed is 83.39 Mbps and upload speed is 20.09 Mbps. Customers within the country know the STC prepaid SIM card as Sawa. Best of all? They get high-speed internet data at cheap rates.
You can get 1 GB for one week at 15 Saudi Rial (SR), 1 GB for one month at 30 SR, 2 GB for one month at 50 SR, 5 GB monthly at 80 SR. You can also use 10 GB for one month at 110 SR, 10 GB for the duration of two months at 155 SR, and 10 GB for three months at 180 SR. Moreover, STC gives you 50 GB for two months at 230 SR, 100 GB for three months at 350 SR, and 300 GB for three months at 470 SR. Finally, you can get unlimited data for one month at 350 SR.
5. CYTA
CYTA Limited is a telecom company in Cyprus, which stands for Cyprus Telecommunication Authority. It’s the leading service provider in the country. It scored 105.78 in terms of average data speed on the Speedtest Report of 2021. Its mobile data average download speed is 204.15 Mbps and upload speed is 27.18 Mbps. It offers high-speed 4G/LTE data at very cheap rates in Cyprus. There are many high-speed prepaid data plans in CYTA. For instance, you get 100 MB data for 1 day at €1.50, 200 MB for 7 days at €3, and 600 MB for 30 days at €5. This carrier also offers 1.5 GB for 30 days at €10 and 3 GB for 30 days at €15.
6. Vivacom
Bulgarian Telecommunications Company EAD (BTC), better known with its brand name Vivacom, is the largest telecommunications company in Bulgaria. Formerly, it was a state-owned telecom company. It holds the 6th position in terms of internet speed with an average score of 105.38 in Speedtest Report 2021. The company has an average mobile internet download speed of 69.28 Mbps and an upload speed of 32 Mbps. Vivacom offers data to its subscribers like Unlimited 150 pack, in which you get unlimited 5G data for 43.99 BGN/month. There’s also an Unlimited 50 pack for unmetered 5G data at 34.99 BGN/month and 20,000 MB per month of 5G data at 30.99 BGN/month.
7. China Mobile
China Mobile is the trade name of China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. a public company in the country. It provides its wireless network services across mainland China and Hong Kong. It’s the world’s largest telecom company in terms of the number of subscribers. However, China Mobile grabbed the 7th spot based on the Speedtest Report 2021 scoring an average of 103.53. Its average mobile internet download speed is 168.28 Mbps and upload speed is 31.06 Mbps. The company offers multiple data plans at affordable rates to its subscribers.
8. KPN Mobile
KPN is a Dutch mobile and landline telecommunications company. It ranked 8th in terms of internet speed in the Speedtest Report of 2021 and scored an average of 101.84 on the test. According to the Ookla Speedtest Report, KPN’s average mobile download and upload speed in the first half of 2021 was 108.1 Mbps and 23.92 Mbps respectively. The company offers multiple data plans, such as 3 GB data at €17.50 per month and 10 GB data at €20/month. Customers can also enjoy 20 GB of data for €27.50 per month and unlimited data for €32.50 per month.
9. Telenor
Telenor is a Norwegian telecom company operating in Scandinavia and Asia. It owns telecom networks in 8 countries — Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is known as dtac in Thailand and Digi in Malaysia. Based on the Speedtest Report of 2021, it ranked 9th with an average score of 100.12. Furthermore, its average mobile data download speed is 71.6 Mbps and upload speed is 15.2 Mbps.
Telenor is working with Google to make it easier for their subscribers to conveniently manage their mobile data plans and usage. For example, Telenor and Google collaborated on a Mobile Data Plan API in 2016. This feature enabled Telenor users in Malaysia and Thailand to get alerts when they are about to reach their data limit and offer them data add-ons within the app. It only applied to Google services, such as watching video content on the YouTube app.
10. POST
POST Luxembourg, formerly known as Enterprise des Postes et Télécommunications, is a telecom based in Luxembourg. The company is state-owned and comes under the Ministry of Communication, directly reporting to the Prime Minister of the country. Its average score on Speedtest Report 2021 was 91.75, making it the 10th fastest mobile internet provider in the world. Its average mobile internet download speed is 113.25 Mbps and upload speed is 19.07 Mbps. It also offers several data packages for cheap.