AT&T rolls out the blue carpet mere days after T-Mobile's big red carpet announcement: no foul play, though

The AT&T vs T-Mobile dispute aside, AT&T is announcing something new – eSIM by AT&T.

A cattish smile may rise on many T-Mobile users, since the Magenta carrier announced their four new eSIM plans last week.

Of course, there's no foul play here; in less than a month, many foreigners – much more than usually – will want to come to the US and they'll need a short-term phone plan. The eSIM option is perfect for that.

What's more, AT&T says that it is "building on its position as the first major US carrier to launch short-term connectivity packages for international visitors via eSIM", so there's nothing stolen here, really.

But suddenly, the "I get a window from a glass, he must get a window from a glass. I get a step, he must get a step!" monologue from Borat (2006) starts playing in my head for some reason…

Four plans to choose from

The unlimited data for travelers on the eSIM by AT&T is guaranteed, but only in cases where there isn't anything extraordinary. Which means that AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.

Here are the plans:

• 1-day pass – $3.99 (US only)
• 7-day pass – $15.99 (US only) and $24.99 (US + Mexico and Canada)
• 15-day pass – $25.99 (US only) and $39.99 (US + Mexico and Canada)
• 30-day pass – $40.99 (US only) and $59.99 (US + Mexico and Canada)

In contrast, T-Mobile offers 7, 10, 14 or 30 days – so, no single-day pass from the Magenta carrier. All of T-Mobile's new eSIM options cover Mexico and Canada in addition to the US and are in the range of $25 to $50. In other words, pretty much similar to AT&T.

While Ma Bell's 30-day plan is $10 costlier, AT&T undercuts T-Mobile by almost $10 if you're going to stay only in the US. That's nice. Why pay for Mexico and Canada if you're only visiting the US for 5–7 days and you'll be spending your time at the stadium?

The real reason for the new eSIM plans

It's no coincidence that both AT&T and T-Mobile have announced these new eSIM plans – the FIFA World Cup tournament will be hosted (June 11–July 19) by the US, Mexico and Canada.

There'll be many Europeans traveling to watch 11 athletes with funky hairdos kick a ball against another 11 athletes with equally funky hairdos. If you're used to scores being gained every couple of minutes, know this: football (OK, soccer) matches can finish 0:0 even after 90+ minutes of play.

How do the new eSIM plans work?

The short-term connectivity packages can include Turbo Live by AT&T for "VIP connection" in crowded stadiums, which is only important if you're dead serious about posting your beer hat selfie right now, and not an hour later, when the network isn't overloaded.

Here's how AT&T's eSIM service works: travelers first need to download the Connect on Demand by AT&T app from Apple's App Store or Google Play. Users must also have an unlocked 5G smartphone with dual SIM support and an international phone number. After arriving in the US, they can buy and activate an AT&T eSIM plan directly through the app.

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