CampusSIMs is a T-Mobile MVNO based out of Boston that specializes in service for international students.
Company Background
CampusSIMs evolved from a company called CampusTVs which was and still is a television rental service for college students looking to avoid having to transport a TV to and from campus. According to CampusSIMs, their transition to providing mobile phone service came about through surveys with CampusTV customers which showed that there was a need for cell phone service tailored to the international student population.
Since 2014, CampusSIMs has been working to provide international students with cell phone plans tailored to their needs. The company is currently partnered with over 150 schools in the USA as well as 50+ international agencies that send students to the USA.
Cell Phone Plans
CampusSIMs offers three basic cell phone plans and they are as follows:
All plans include unlimited global texting, tethering, and international inbound calling.
- $25/month 500 minutes, 500 MB 4G LTE data
- $40/month unlimited talk, 1 GB 4G LTE data
- $55/month unlimited minutes, 2 GB 4G LTE data then unlimited but throttled
The company does charge varying amounts for outbound international calls.
Customer support is provided in three different languages including English, Spanish and Mandarin. Your account can be managed and activated by an app which they have provided for both iOS and Android.
Analysis and Competition
Overall I like what CampusSIMs is trying to accomplish. They have identified a small market niche and are attempting to cater to it. Their plans however do have room for improvement, particularly if they really want to capture this niche as they face some stiff competition for the international calling market.
Lycamobile for instance offers a plan priced at $29/month which includes unlimited talk, text, and data with the first 500 MB being at 4G LTE speeds. Unlimited calls to more than 50 countries, which is something CampusSIMs does not offer, is also included. Like CampusSIMs, Lycamobile is also a T-Mobile MVNO.
Ultra Mobile is another T-Mobile MVNO and competitor in this class. They offer a plan for $29/month that includes unlimited international talk and text to over 60 countries as well as an additional 1000 minutes to be used towards an additional 15 destinations. One GB of 4G LTE data is also included with this plan.
Red Pocket is an MVNO that operates on Verizon, ATT and Sprint. Their Verizon based plan priced at $29.99/month includes 500 MB of 3G data, unlimited talk and text, unlimited inbound international SMS although outbound international SMS costs extra and unlimited calling to mobile phones and landlines in China and Hong Kong.