Sharp Increase in Demand for eSIM and Unregistered SIM Cards in Russia

According to Kommersant, after the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia on September 21, demand for virtual SIM cards (eSIM) has tripled, while demand for unregistered (“gray”) SIM cards has increased by 50% over the past week.

eSIM Usage Abroad on the Rise

Tourist eSIMs are most frequently purchased for use in Kazakhstan. Telecom operators confirm that roaming traffic to Kazakhstan has also increased, with other popular destinations including Turkey, the UAE, Belarus, and Finland.

Sergey Stavropol’tsev, head of the Telwel service, told the publication that interest in their service began to grow significantly starting September 24. Demand for virtual SIM cards for use in Kazakhstan has increased by hundreds of times. Demand for communication packages in Asian countries has grown about fivefold, and global packages covering 125 countries (including Russia) have quadrupled. Interest in SIM cards for use in Europe has also increased by 2.5 times.

Growing Interest in Unregistered SIM Cards

There has also been a surge in demand for unregistered SIM cards, which can be activated without providing identification or registering the subscriber. According to an anonymous seller, demand for these cards has risen by 50% in the past week.

Roaming Traffic Sees Significant Growth

Roaming traffic is also on the rise. Sources at a major telecom operator report that from September 21 to 26, compared to the previous week, roaming traffic increased by 25% in Turkey and Kazakhstan, by 10% in the UAE, Belarus, and Finland, and by up to 5% in Armenia, Georgia, and Egypt. MegaFon confirmed an increase in roaming service usage since September 21, but did not specify the volume or destinations. VimpelCom and MTS declined to comment.

Expert Opinion

Maxim Savvatin, an analyst at iKS-Consulting, told reporters that this sudden spike in demand for roaming in neighboring countries is unlikely to last long, but he predicts revenue growth from it could reach “tens of percent.”