How Travel eSIMs Work: Understanding IP Breakout Points, Local Towers & Speed Myths
When travellers hear that an eSIM “routes data through Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, UK etc” or “uses an overseas provider” it can sound confusing or even concerning. Some assume this means slow speeds or a poor experience. In reality, this is normal, intentional, and used by almost every global travel eSIM provider.
This article explains how travel eSIMs actually work, why IP breakout points may be overseas, and how these eSIMs still rely on local towers (local providers) for your real-world connection.
1. What Is an IP Breakout Point?
An IP breakout point is simply the location where your mobile data exits the mobile network and enters the public internet.
Think of it like this example (Australia):
- Your phone connects to a local Australian tower.
- Your data is processed by the eSIM provider.
- It then “steps out” onto the internet through their main gateway (often Hong Kong, Singapore, the US or Europe).
What it does NOT affect:
- Your signal strength
- Which tower you connect to
- Your physical connection (your phone can only connect to towers in range)
2. Why Breakout Points Are Often Overseas
Many global eSIM providers use breakout points in places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Europe, US because these regions offer:
- Fast and stable global internet backbones
- High-capacity data centres
- Excellent routing to major websites
- World-class reliability
This is industry-standard practice and is the same system used when travellers roam internationally.
3. Travel eSIMs Still Use Local Towers
This is the most important point:
Your phone always connects to towers in range.
A travel eSIM in Australia (for example) will always connect to one of the local networks:
- Telstra
- Optus
- Vodafone
So your coverage, signal bars, and real-world speed are all based on local infrastructure, exactly like a local SIM card.
4. How Travel eSIMs Use Local Towers: Roaming Partnerships
Travel eSIMs rely on international roaming agreements with local mobile carriers. This is the same arrangement used when:
- Australians travel overseas
- Tourists use foreign SIMs in Australia (reciprocal)
These partnerships allow your eSIM to:
- Register on local Australian networks
- Use local 4G/5G towers
- Access the Australian backhaul (the fibre network behind the towers)
- Enjoy the same coverage footprint as local users
The only difference is that the internet gateway sits in another region instead of Australia.
5. What Actually Impacts Your Speed
Here are the real factors that influence your data performance:
- Local tower quality/coverage – the biggest factor.
- Network congestion – airports, CBDs, big events, heavy tourist zones.
- Your device – older phones support fewer 4G/5G bands.
- Roaming priority – all roaming SIMs (any brand) have standard priority.
These influence speed far more than the breakout point.
6. Does Overseas Routing Make Data Slow?
No - not by itself.
For example - The typical latency between Australia and Hong Kong is often just 60–90 ms, similar to playing online games between states. This is fast enough for:
- Maps and navigation
- Social media
- WhatsApp and messaging
- Banking apps
- Streaming
- Emails and browsing
If speed issues occur, it’s almost always due to local congestion, not the overseas breakout point.
7. A Simple Analogy
Imagine your data journey like taking a trip:
- You drive on Australian roads (local mobile towers).
- At the end of the route, you exit through a Hong Kong gateway onto the global internet highway.
Your experience depends on the local roads - not where the exit ramp is located.
8. When a Local SIM Might Be Better
For travellers who want the absolute highest local priority and maximum peak performance, a local SIM may offer the best speeds - obviously with local SIMs - queueing, risk of potential ID theft/mismanagement, local scams (fake/expired SIM) and language barrier.
Travel eSIMs excel at:
- Convenience
- Affordability
- Additional layer of data security
- Pre-purchase before flying
- Multi-country coverage
- No physical SIM swapping
9. The Bottom Line
- Travel eSIMs (regardless of brand) always use local towers.
- They operate through official roaming partnerships.
- Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, US, Europe, UK or overseas breakout points are normal industry practice.
- Overseas routing does not automatically mean slow speeds.
- Local tower quality and congestion matter far more.
- Travel eSIMs are built for reliable, convenient travel data.
Your real-world performance comes from local, regardless of where your IP address appears.
Typical IP Breakout points for ALL eSIM providers (including AirSims.com.au).
| Region | IP Breakout |
| Asia and Asia Pacific (inc. AU/NZ) | Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan |
| Middle East (inc. North Africa) | UK, Europe |
| Africa | UK, Europe |
| Europe and UK | UK, Europe |
| North America | UK, Europe, Hong Kong |
| South America | UK, Europe |
