Online learning is becoming a very popular platform for students worldwide these days. More and more students are opting to learn online from the comfort of their homes, especially after the pandemic. Moreover, the schools and colleges are also offering online classes due to the pandemic. If you are a student taking classes online, you can understand the importance of having a stable internet connection. Moreover, it should be fast and come with a big bundle of mobile data, if not unlimited. For us to consider it one of the best SIM cards for students, that is.
After all, a lot of bandwidth and an optimal download/upload speed is required for taking classes from home without a hitch. To learn without disruption, the telecom companies worldwide are now providing big data bundles and high-speed internet at affordable rates. The competition is high, and the companies try their best to provide quality services on the cheap to attract customers. However, before you opt for a SIM card, you must figure out which company’s network functions the best in your locality.
It is of no use to buy the plans of a carrier whose signal strength is poor in your area. Telecom companies are constantly trying to strengthen connectivity and expand their network coverage in urban and rural areas alike. This article will help you choose the provider and whose plans are best suited for your needs. So let’s have a look at the top carriers around the globe from a student’s perspective.
1. Jio
Reliance Jio Infocomm, famously known as Jio among the masses, is the largest wireless carrier in India. When it entered the telecom market in 2015 as a 4G/LTE-only carrier, it aimed to disrupt the telecom market of the country by introducing very cheap plans for its subscribers. It led to a price war with its aggressive pricing strategy against its competitors. The company made huge investments in infrastructure and became the operator with the largest number of mobile towers in the country.
It also phased out the Indian national roaming, enabling its users to make and receive calls from anywhere within the Indian territory at no extra cost. Its competitors also had to embrace the same policy, later making the Indian telecom market roaming free. Jio offers only 4G/LTE connectivity with the best network coverage in India. You can get a Jio SIM card for free, but you need to purchase a plan for it to arrive at your doorstep and be viable for activation. Speaking of which, a Jio SIM remains active for 90 days without any top-up or activity.
The company offers 13 data-featured plans — Affordable Packs (combo); Jio Freedom Plans (combo); 1 GB/day Pack (combo); 1.5 GB/Day Packs (combo); 2 GB/Day Packs (combo); 3 GB/Day Packs (combo); No Daily Limit (combo); Disney+ Hotstar VIP (combo); JioPhone All-In-One Plans (combo exclusive for JioPhones); Cricket Pack (data-only); Disney+ Hotstar Packs (data-only + add-ons); Work From Home Data Packs (data-only); 4G Data Vouchers (data add-ons). All these packs have varying prices and validity.
2. Airtel
Bharti Airtel is the second-largest Indian wireless carrier. It’s been in the business for more than 25 years and is presently active in 19 countries besides India. It offers 2G and 4G/LTE connectivity with extensive coverage throughout the country. The carrier remains the top choice for video calls, voice calls through apps and online gaming. This will certainly benefit students who are learning online or simply need an optimal or superb experience while taking online classes. Apart from providing basic services, it also offers extra benefits of entertainment packages like Prime Video subscription and Wynk Music subscription. This is unsurprising, considering its young users.
Airtel offers three data-featured plans — Data (data-only), Smart Recharge (combo), and Truly Unlimited (combo). The Data Plan is a bundle that offers 40 GB of high-speed data valid for 28 days and is priced at Rs 401. The Smart Recharges is a combination of airtime and internet data at varied prices. The Truly Unlimited plans are a mix of unlimited local minutes and mobile data. The majority of plans offer you additional benefits like a Prime Video subscription on a 1-month trial or a free Wynk Music subscription. This makes it a solid choice for students who want to have a SIM card for studies as well as entertainment.
3. Vodafone Idea
Vodafone Idea, commonly referred to as Vi, is the third-largest operator in India. It came to be in 2018 when Vodafone India acquired Idea Cellular and donned the aforementioned name. However, the two companies only became one and started offering their services under one brand name Vi in the third quarter of 2020. Vi offers the fastest upload and download speed in India. Hence, you can rest assured you’re getting high-speed downloads for your study material and other such stuff. It operates on 2G and 4G /LTE connectivity and has extensive coverage throughout the country.
Luckily, its 4G connectivity, the worst among the three major players, is only horrible in some areas only. As you know, every carrier’s connection/signal strength varies from place to place. Vi has four data-featured plans — Combo/Validity (combo); Unlimited (combo); Disney+ Hotstar VIP (combo); Data (data-only). The Combo/Validity plans contain the main balance, free data, and free local voice minutes. The Unlimited plans have lots of data — in some cases, unlimited between 12 AM and 6 AMM.
The majority of plans under the Unlimited pack also offer weekend data rollover and access to Vi Movies and TV. The Disney+Hotstar VIP plans are a combo of unlimited local minutes, 100 SMS/day, data (sometimes limitless data from 12 AM to 6 AM again) along with 1-year access to Disney+Hotstar. The last plan is Data, under which you get unlimited data bundles.
4. Three
Three is a United Kingdom carrier and our top choice for SIM cards providers in Europe, both for students and regular users. At the low-end on a 2-year plan, you can pay £12 monthly to get 30 GB of data and unlimited calling and texts. You also get access to Three UK’s 5G network and “Go Roam Around the World”. The latter is a roaming package that, for only £2 per day within Europe and £5 daily elsewhere, lets you call, text, and use mobile data in 71 destinations worldwide.
If you’re willing to shell out £16 or £20, you get everything we just mentioned but 100 GB or unlimited data, respectively. Also, 1-year plans carry the same benefits (unlimited calls, texts, 5G, and Go Roam) and have their price determined by data allowances. More specifically, £7 monthly gets you 1 GB (there’s a modified plan for the same price at 200 minutes but 2 GB of data, too), while paying £10 awards you with 4 GB of data.
Moving forward, £11 gets you 8 GB to 12 GB, depending on the discount, £13 awards 30 GB of data, and finally, £20 permits limitless mobile data. There are also affordable no-contract plans that come with limitless minutes and texts, Go Roam and 5G. Again, data is the determining factor. £10 gets you 8 GB, £15 permits 25 GB, £20 plan gives 50 GB, and £35 lets you use data without limits.
5. AT&T
AT&T may be the default choice for students who travel to the United States or already live there. They don’t charge deposit fees for any participant in their International Student Deposit Waiver Program. This US-based SIM cards provider also lets students sign up for their AT&T Worldwide Value Calling service for a mere $5.99 ($15 regularly) monthly. When they do, students can call and text from the United States to 200+ countries.
Only 85+ countries are free of charge, though. Dialing international SIM card phone numbers to the remainder (140+) happens at heavily discounted rates. If you need a prepaid SIM, don’t fret. You can get a 5G network data plan for $25 (20 GB) or $50 (100 GB). If you feel like combining, the carrier lets you opt for their unlimited minutes, texts, and high-speed 5G Internet plan for $75/month (regular) or $50 (ordered online with AutoPay).
It also enables you to share up to 10 GB of data through a mobile hotspot. If that’s too expensive, they also offer a $30/month plan that comes with limited texts and calls but limits 5G data to 5 GB. Both plans come with cheap calling rates to Mexico and Canada and unmetered free SMS to 230+ countries. Finally, if you pay for 3 months upfront, you’ll get 8 GB per month for $33.