Fair use and speed
Daily full-speed caps, throttled speeds, "unlimited" labels and what still works after the cap.
Fair use is the rule that limits full-speed data, usually per day, on plans sold as unlimited. After that amount the line keeps working at a lower speed, stated in kbit/s. These guides turn those numbers into what still works.
New guides
Unlimited eSIM fair use: the 8 lines to read before you buy
How to read the fair-use terms of an "unlimited" travel eSIM: full-speed amount, speed after the cap, reset, hotspot, top-ups and what each speed carries.
Read the guide →Is my eSIM throttled, or is the network just busy?
A 7-step check to tell a fair-use slowdown from network congestion or weak signal on a travel eSIM, without wasting data on repeated speed tests.
Read the guide →Unlimited travel eSIMs: daily full-speed cap versus usable data
The difference between marketing language, high-speed allowance, slowdown policy and hotspot entitlements.
Read the guide →5G icon but slow travel internet? A troubleshooting guide
Why network generation, signal strength, plan caps and congestion are different variables.
Read the guide →Reference: what a slowed line can carry
| Speed after the cap | Most per hour | Usually fine |
|---|---|---|
| 128 kbit/s | ≈ 58 MB | Messaging, Spotify Low/Normal |
| 256 kbit/s | ≈ 115 MB | Messaging, navigation, music up to High |
| 512 kbit/s | ≈ 230 MB | Audio calls, music |
| 1 Mbit/s | ≈ 450 MB | Basic web, low-quality video calls |
Research: fair-use snapshot of 198 destinations (2026) · unlimited data fair-use analysis
From the guide archive
- Unlimited eSIM Data: Fair Use, Daily Caps and Throttled Speedguide
- Is 'Unlimited Data' Really Unlimited on an eSIM?guide
- Unlimited eSIM Data: Fair-Use Limits and Throttling Explainedguide
- Unlimited eSIM Fair-Use Limits: The Real Usable-Data Testguide
- Unlimited eSIMs Explained: The Daily High-Speed Cap Testguide
- Unlimited eSIM vs Fixed GB: Why Seven Times One Is Not Sevenguide
- Unlimited eSIM versus fixed GB: a daily full-speed forecastguide
- Unlimited eSIM daily fair-use reset: why 7 GB is not always 7 GBguide
- Daily Data Cap vs Total Data Pool: The Differenceguide
- One gigabyte per day versus 14 gigabytes totalguide
- After the Full-Speed Cap: What 128 kbps Actually Meansguide
- 128 kbps after fair-use: what still worksguide
- 256, 512 and 1024 kbps After Throttling: What the Math Saysguide
- 256, 384, 512 and 1024 kbps after throttling: what the numbers actually meanguide
- Travel eSIM Speed Units Explained: GB, MB, Mbps and kbps After Throttlingguide
- 5G Travel eSIM Coverage: Speed Claims vs Real Usageguide
- Airport eSIM Performance: Why Full Signal Bars Can Still Mean Slow Dataguide