Team manager's guide: mobile data for an away trip
The team manager handles what nobody sees: the bus turning up, the rooms adding up and nobody arriving unable to read the day's schedule. This is the list we'd use ourselves so data doesn't become another travel problem.
Two weeks before
- Ask the group who has an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone. Anyone unsure can check the compatibility guide.
- List who's travelling: players, staff, media and directors. Companions tend to get forgotten.
- Check every country on the trip is covered, including layovers if people need to work there.
- Decide how much data each role needs. The analyst doesn't use the same as a player.
Three days before
- Hand out one code per person, individually rather than as a block: that way you know who has redeemed theirs.
- Ask everyone to install at home on wifi. Something always goes wrong at the airport.
- Note who hasn't installed and sort it before you leave, not at the gate.
On landing
- Send the reminder to the group: choose the eSIM line for data and turn on data roaming on that line.
- The usual line stays for calls and WhatsApp. The number doesn't change.
- Anyone without data should restart the phone and check those two settings. That fixes it almost every time.
During the trip
If staff need a laptop or tablet online, they can share data from their phone. For heavy video, save uploads for the hotel wifi: tethering burns through data quickly.
If someone runs short, they top up on the same eSIM from their account. Nothing new to install, and nothing for you to do.
FAQ
Can I manage the whole team's eSIMs myself?
You hand out the codes and can see which are redeemed. Each person installs their own, because the eSIM is tied to their phone.
When does the plan start counting?
When data is first used at the destination. You can install days earlier without losing any.
What about someone whose phone is carrier-locked?
That phone won't accept another company's eSIM. They need to ask their carrier to unlock it in good time, or use another device.