EE, Vodafone and O2 face a surprise new rival UK phone owners won't want to ignore

As most phone owners will be well aware, heading online or sending WhatsApp messages when abroad can get very, very expansive. Some new smartphone contracts don't now include EU data roaming and things can get even worse when heading to areas of the world such as the USA.

For example, EE now charges £5 per day (£25 per week) to use it's network in America meaning a family of four wanting to uses their devices could face a £200 bill when returning after a two week break. Vodafone charges some users over £7 per day to use their phones in the US.

It can be hugely expensive, but luckily, there is now another option, and it could save some serious money.

Community Fibre is already shaking up the broadband market with very fast speeds at lower prices. Now it wants to do the same with roaming. A new app has just launched which lets UK phone owners buy and install eSIMs onto their devices. These digital SIM cards offer an easy way to add extra services including accessing data when abroad.

Community Fibre is boasting that its eSIMs will cover over 160 countries and are available at prices from as low as £2.29.

Although Community Fibre Broadband operates exclusively in London, as well as parts of Surrey and Sussex, the Community Fibre eSIM can be purchased and used by anybody living in the UK.

expres.co.uk has downloaded the app and can confirm it offers USA data packages from just £2.29. That price includes 1GB of data and lasts for 7 days.

Before you travel, it's definitely worth checking out what you network offers and how much it's going to cost.

As long as your phone is unlocked by your mobile provider, you should not have any issues downloading an eSIM, and you might be surprised at how much cheaper it is.

It's also worth checking out other eSIM providers, as there are a number of other platforms, including Airalo, Nomad, and Flexiroam.