Old habits die hard, but some are worth leaving behind. Most people are dependent on phone numbers for their communications. Unfortunately, phone networks run atop insecure, centralized communications infrastructure that is surveilled by the people entrusted to protect it. And now it’s falling apart at the seams.
What’s the problem with phone numbers?
People around the world are ditching their phone numbers. Even the mainstream is starting to figure out that phone networks aren’t actually private.
No, we’re not just talking about how telecom companies retain your call and text records indefinitely—or the secret databases that collect billions of call records a year, searchable without a warrant. In late 2024, the biggest names in western telecom were compromised by foreign actors to intercept and spy on political communications. And now the top cyber defense agencies are advising against sending text messages.
Here’s a quote from Jen Easterly, director of Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA):
The truth is that the technology base upon which our critical infrastructure depends is inherently insecure, because of decades of misaligned incentives that prioritized features and speed to market over security. That must stop. Technology companies must help ensure the PRC and other adversary threat actors cannot exploit defects in technology products to target our critical infrastructure. These weaknesses—and the resulting risks to our national security—can only be addressed at scale by companies building and selling products that are secure by design.
We agree wholeheartedly and have been pushing people to leave phone numbers behind since 2022—running a professional-grade encrypted messaging service for truly end-to-end encrypted communications, including voice calls and video calls.
In 2025, we raised the bar once again by launching our own mobile cell service: Above DataSIM.
There is a better way with Above DataSIM.
Thanks to open-source software, we have more communication solutions than ever before. They’re decentralized and functional, and they protect your privacy.
What is Above DataSIM?
The Above DataSIM is a digital eSIM with no phone number, offering quick setup and secure mobile internet access—anytime, anywhere.
An eSIM is a form of SIM that is embedded directly into a device upon setup. In terms of privacy, eSIMs are no different than physical SIM cards when using a phone number—both connect to nearby cell towers, and their data streams can be identified by phone number.
You have the option of using an internet-based phone number, but it isn’t required, nor is it necessary.
Setting up a new Above DataSIM takes only minutes, and we work with the best providers in each country to bring you top speeds. Our service avoids sharing your personal information with a carrier—there’s no personally identifiable information to share or steal.
There’s no SIM card required—it is completely virtual
Extremely fast and reliable connection
Monthly and pre-paid plans available on multiple continents
No attached phone number but you can set up an internet phone number if needed
No personal information sent to carriers
Setup in five minutes or less
Works on most modern devices
Numerous privacy and security benefits
Going Data-Only
Phone numbers are central to the privacy and security problems of phones themselves. By removing them entirely, you minimize your attack surface.
Everything Is Encrypted
Most telecoms are required by law to turn over calls and text messages when receiving a legal request. However, they can’t compel users to decrypt the information passing over these lines.
This means internet traffic can be protected from third-party observers through the use of encryption. It enables services like VPNs and encrypted messaging.
Because Above DataSIM is data-only, all of your internet traffic can be encrypted by a VPN, such as Above VPN.
No Incentives for SIM Swapping with Above DataSIM
SIM Swapping has taken the world by storm, targeting unsuspecting victims and enabling the theft of nearly $50 million in 2023 alone, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report.
SIM Swapping is a cybercrime that uses unsophisticated social engineering techniques against mobile service providers to transfer a victim’s phone service to a mobile device in the criminal’s possession.
How does this happen? SIM Swappers will go to your local cellular store and pretend to be you by using falsified credentials and your personal information. Once they’ve convinced the employee that they’re the victim, they will activate a new SIM card and activate it on a new phone. From there they can access the victim’s incoming calls and text messages.
With your phone number now in their possession, they can break into accounts that use your phone number as a second factor authenticator. 2FA is commonly used by banks and crypto exchanges. These criminals can then hijack your accounts and drain your funds or use them as a gateway for further attacks.
Because Above DataSIM doesn’t have a phone number, there’s no value in attempting to SIM swap. On top of this, our eSIMs can’t be reactivated once they’re in use. So stealing one isn’t even a possibility.
Protection from SMS Based Attacks
Human rights group Amnesty International learned in their research how SMS was used as an attack vector to compromise activists using state-sponsored spyware like the NSO Group’s Pegasus. Malicious links were sent through SMS in the attempt to hijack and take over an activist’s phone.
As Amnesty International discovered in further reports, long-standing vulnerabilities in big tech messaging solutions led to the compromise of many other victims.
These types of attacks are off the table when using Above DataSIM. You also have enhanced protection against attackers when using secure devices like the Above Phone.
How Does Above DataSIM Work?
We’ve made DataSIM as easy and flexible as possible. You pick your plan, make the purchase, and then you’ll receive instructions on how to activate the DataSIM on your phone. The process takes only minutes.
Types of Plans
We have two Above DataSIM plan types available: monthly and prepaid.
Monthly plans renew a set amount of data every month.
Plans start at 5GB per month and go up to Unlimited.
Prepaid plans give you a set amount of data, and you can activate it anytime within a year from purchase. Once activated, the data is valid for 180 days.
Plans start from 5GB and go up to 50GB.
Locations
We currently support five locations around the world.
United States - Supports all 50 states.
Canada - Supports all of Canada.
UK & Europe - Europe includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Australia & New Zealand
Mexico
Don’t see your country?
You can request another location here.
So, how do I communicate with Above DataSIM?
You may be wondering, how do I communicate without a phone number?
Thankfully, many options are available.
Encrypted Communication Apps
Internet-based communication apps can be used with your friends and family. Above recommends the following (and they’re also a part of Above Suite, our suite of privacy services):
Jitsi Video Conferencing—simply join a room and send someone the link—you’re now on an encrypted video conference!
XMPP—sign up for XMPP and share your ID with a friend.
But what if I want a phone number?
Although it’s not a part of Above DataSIM, you can still have a phone number and communications through our internet phone number solution.
Our internet phone number solution is powered by Above Suite’s XMPP service and JMP.chat. This service bridges internet messages on XMPP across the cell network. You pick a US/Canada phone number and can make calls and texts with that number.
Once you’re signed up, you use a special app on the Above Phone (Cheogram) to use your phone number. You can make international calls, texts, and group texts—you can even receive voicemail. If you get XMPP running on your laptop, you can also text from your computer.
Best of all, Above Suite is only $100 a year, and JMP.chat is only $5 a month.
You can purchase Above Suite along with an Above Phone or standalone.
Keep in mind that this internet phone number solution does not make the content of your calls and texts private. Calls and texts travel over phone lines and are therefore subject to surveillance. However, this solution does improve your privacy as it originates all calls and texts through a single location rather than your nearest cell tower.
What does the future hold?
What will the world look like without phone numbers? It may look like different identifiers—like an email to communicate with those we love. It may require more people to start internet companies that run these important services for people. It may mean we stop paying for cellular service altogether and en masse.
We’re not exactly sure what the future will look like, but we’re willing to take the first step forward.
How about you?
Above DataSIM was great until they started routing my traffic through Europe unnecessarily. I am in the Northeast of the US and the sites I was visiting were in the US as well.
Above support said this was all "normal".