San Francisco eSIM
In San Francisco you connect to T-Mobile or AT&T, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 64 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- T-Mobile and AT&T
- Typical speed in United States
- 64 Mbps typical, 11 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover San Francisco
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $6.89 | $6.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $3.30 | $9.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $2.58 | $12.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.99 | $19.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.64 | $32.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $1.52 | $75.89 |
How United States compares across North America
- Regional typical speed
- 33 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, T-Mobile, AT&T
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next slowest nearby
- Canada, 58 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 6: New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago
Landing at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Airport
- SFO / KSFO
- Distance
- 19 km from the centre of San Francisco
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalFree Wi-Fi in every terminal on the network named '#SFO FREE WIFI'.
- Also serves
- Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (Oakland International Airport) (OAK)
Getting into San Francisco
- BART from SFO International Terminal to downtown San Francisco (SFO), about 30 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- AirTrain Red Line (SFO BART station to Terminals 1, 2 and 3) (SFO)
- BART to OAK connector (Oakland airport to Coliseum BART station) (OAK), about 9 minutes
Underground and on the metro
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) runs 5 lines. It opened in 1972. The operator states mobile coverage in parts of the network only.
Worth knowing about San Francisco
- Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile turned on their networks inside BART's Transbay Tube in 2009, giving a continuous mobile signal from Balboa Park through downtown San Francisco, the Tube and the Oakland underground.
- BART says cell coverage and app functionality are still limited at some underground stations, especially when crowded, with the improvement project due to reach all stations by fall 2027.
- BART trains leave from the SFO International Terminal and reach downtown San Francisco in about 30 minutes; the AirTrain Red Line links the BART station to Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
- Oakland's airport, about 19 km east of San Francisco, connects to the BART network by the elevated BART to OAK connector, roughly a nine-minute ride to Coliseum station.
- Oakland's airport was officially renamed Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, so an arrival ticketed as OAK is not the same airport as SFO.
- Since 10 December 2025, BART fare gates and the nearly two dozen Bay Area agencies using Clipper accept Tap and Ride: a contactless credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, with no Clipper card needed.
- BART asks riders to take the Clipper card or bank card out of a wallet or purse before tapping, so the gate reads only one. Children aged 4 and under ride free.
- Muni riders must keep proof of payment for the whole trip, whether a ticket or pass, the Muni app or a Clipper card, or risk a fare ticket. Since December 2025 Muni readers also take a contactless credit or debit card for an adult single fare, tapped at the start of each trip.
- #SFWiFi, the city's free network in certain parks and plazas, was extended to Chinatown in 2025, covering Grant Avenue from Pacific Avenue to Broadway plus Dragon Gate and St. Mary's Square.
- Muir Woods National Monument has no cell phone service, and every personal vehicle and shuttle rider needs a reservation, so book it before driving north across the Golden Gate.
- Alcatraz ferries leave from Pier 33, and a ticket is the only way onto the island. The fare includes the cellhouse audio tour in eleven languages, and the Park Service suggests allowing a couple of hours there.
- Bay Area bridges collect tolls electronically with no cash lanes, and the Golden Gate charges only southbound into the city. Visitors and rental drivers not enrolled in a toll plan can open a Short-Term License Plate Account covering the past 48 hours or 30 days ahead.
Sources for this page
Other cities in United States we cover
- Los Angeles
- 559 km from San Francisco, nearest airport HHR
- Las Vegas
- 671 km from San Francisco, nearest airport LAS
- Chicago
- 2983 km from San Francisco, nearest airport MDW
- New York
- 4129 km from San Francisco, nearest airport LGA
- Miami
- 4169 km from San Francisco, nearest airport MIA