Looking for the top mobile carriers whose SIM cards are excellent for local calling? Lucky for you, we mentioned the leaders in the most popular destinations worldwide. Moreover, we pointed out when a carrier also offers voice calls in certain zones, e.g., the European Union, at local rates. That means travelers can employ a single SIM for multiple neighboring countries, bypassing the need for registration and activation in each. Also, we will expand this list gradually. Plus, our “best” category contains the leading mobile network providers in many countries. Now, here are the best SIM cards for local calls.
1. Tello
After reading our list of the top prepaid SIM cards in the United States, you know T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage in the US (over 40% of the country and growing), but also provides 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE. Well, Tello, which we reviewed, uses their network and offers adjustable plans at affordable prices. You don’t have to sign any contracts, and can get 500 minutes in the local network and call internationally to 65+ countries with no data and unlimited texting for only $7 per month. You can also add data up to unlimited, which would cost you $29 monthly.
2. iD Mobile
iD Mobile, although not the largest among the leading United Kingdom SIM card providers, beats them in the calling area. They offer no-contract SIM-only SIM cards; each plan comes with unlimited minutes and texts. The cheapest one with a 1-month commitment is only £6 and even gets you 4 GB of data. You can upgrade the commitment to 6, 12, or 24 months to achieve even bigger discounts. Also, many plans come with a lot of data, going up to 200 GB or even unlimited, yet cost roughly £16 to £20 monthly.
3. Jio
All carriers in India in the country are highly competitive and usually offer unlimited calling on most prepaid and postpaid plans at low prices. We chose Jio because they have a large 4G coverage and offer a wide variety of plans, plus bonus offers such as data rollover, subscriptions to Jio services, and even third-party services such as Disney+ Hotstar. You usually get 2 GB per day and unlimited calls for 299 INR whereas others offer roughly 1.5 GB daily for the same price. They also offer a validity of 56 days whereas the competition sticks to 28 days.
4. Vivo Brazil
Vivo Brazil is the most popular representative of Brazilian SIM cards for local calls. They have the best coverage based on customer feedback, and you get a lot with postpaid SIM card plans starting at 134,99 Brazilian Real. For instance, you get limitless calling and texting and 63 GB of data, 30 GB of which is for Disney+ exclusively. Prepaid SIM plans start at R$ 14,99 for 7 days which gives you unmetered calls and texts with 4 GB of data (plus a welcome 1 GB bonus for 7 days) with WhatsApp traffic being unlimited. You can also get a 5 GB plan with the same offer, valid for 15 days, for R$ 19,99.
5. Telcel
Telcel dominates the Mexican market with its SIM and a market share of 60-70% of consumers. If you want affordable calling but don’t plan to spend hours on the phone, their Amigo SIM card costing 79 MXN (Mexican Peso) with 50 MXN credit is your best bet. Unlimited Friend Package 150, for only $150, gets you 2 GB of mobile data and unlimited minutes and SMS for Mexico, the United States, and Canada. You also get limitless WhatsApp data in Mexico, Canada, and the USA, and unlimited data for Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Messenger in Mexico.
6. Japan Wireless
Japan Wireless is the leader among carriers that provide SIM cards in Japan that can make cheap local calls. Their Voice SIM card for 2980 JPY per month provides unlimited domestic calling and messaging and 10 GB per month. The mobile data is great for VoIP calls. It’s a no-contract plan that can be canceled at any point with no severance fees. Plus, you can pay with a credit card, online, and get access to English-speaking staff 7 days a week. That makes it great for locals and foreigners alike.
7. Vodafone Egypt
Vodafone is a well-known international brand we often mention, and its Egyptian branch, Vodafone Misr, is great for calling domestically. Their Fakka cards let you recharge them for between 2.5 EGP (Egyptian Pound) and 15 EGP and then enter recharge codes to activate plans for minutes to all networks or mobile data. That lets you choose whether to call using their network or via the Internet such as through Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber. Their Flex 30 plan gives you 1000 Flexes for 30 EGP, and 1 Flex is 1 minute of calling domestic and international networks.
8. Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom, which you may recognize as T-Mobile around the world, is the biggest telecommunications company in Europe. That means you get reliable coverage wherever you go, speedy 4G LTE and 5G Internet, and great offers for international calling. Plus, there’s no roaming in the European Union, plus they added Switzerland and Great Britain to the list. There are plenty of plans to pick from, especially for families. For instance, their MagentaMobil XS is only 18.7 euros per month if you order 4 SIM cards. You get 5 GB per SIM card and unmetered calling and texting in Germany.
9. AIS
AIS is Thailand’s biggest GSM mobile network operator. Although the company focuses on advertising their 5G superfast internet, e.g., giving 7 GB for 7 days for 155 baht, you can also recharge packages as you need them. For instance, you can call any network between 18 minutes (9 baht) and 100 minutes (20 baht) in one day via a single recharge code. They also have 30-day packages such as 300 baht for 480 minutes to all networks or even 1800 minutes for 369 baht.
10. Orange France
If you’re in France, pick up Orange, as it’s widely considered the telecommunications leader in the country for 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G networks. They also have branches in other countries in Europe, as well as the Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa. Its Mobicarte Mini SIM card plan gives you unlimited calls and texts between 9 PM and midnight every day, with cheap rates otherwise. The well-known Orange Holiday SIM for 14 days at €19.99 gives you limitless calling and texting in Europe, and 2 hours of calling plus 1000 SMS worldwide.