Peter Basil - BazTel

Peter

Founder, CIPM, MBA

About

I’m Peter, the founder of BazTel. I built this company at the intersection of two things I know well: finance and travel.

Before starting BazTel, I worked in investment analytics at State Street, one of the world’s largest custodian banks, and later at TCorp, the New South Wales Government’s investment fund.

I hold a Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance (Honours) from the University of Technology, Sydney, an MBA from Macquarie University, and the CIPM designation from the CFA Institute. That background gives me a way of looking at the telecom industry that comes from investment research, not just personal frustration with roaming charges.

I’ve travelled to more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and I’ve lived abroad in both Hong Kong and Singapore. Along the way I’ve tested eSIMs and physical SIM cards from dozens of providers — in major cities and in places with patchy signal — and that hands-on testing directly shapes how I build BazTel’s product, including one-click installation with no QR code required.

I launched BazTel on 1 July 2024 to solve a problem I kept running into myself: finding reliable, affordable mobile data in a new country shouldn’t be this complicated. BazTel is a single-founder company, and I write every article on this blog myself, drawing on my own trips, my own SIM testing, and my finance and telecom research background.

Professional Accomplishments

Former Head of Investment Analytics at State Street
Senior Manager at TCorp, the NSW Government's investment fund
Travelled to 70+ countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Lived and worked abroad in Hong Kong and Singapore
Personally tested eSIMs and SIM cards across all major travel regions
Founded BazTel on 1 July 2024

Education

Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance (Honours), University of Technology, Sydney
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Macquarie University

Certifications

CIPM — Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement, CFA Institute

Recent Posts

How to Set a Data Limit on Your Samsung Phone for Travel (So It Actually Holds)

Quick answer: on a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Connections > Data usage > Billing cycle and data warning (on newer One UI models it’s Data usage > Mobile […]

Why Your Phone Still Roams (and Bills You) With a Travel eSIM Installed

A travel eSIM stops protecting you from roaming charges the moment your phone’s home line stays switched on, quietly grabs the radio back mid-call, or you step outside the plan’s […]

How Much Data Does Zoom Use on a Travel eSIM Abroad?

Quick Answer A one-hour Zoom call uses 540 MB to 1.62 GB on standard one-on-one video, and up to 2.4 GB on an HD group call. Audio-only sits around 30 […]

How to Prevent Home Carrier Roaming Charges While Using a Travel eSIM

Turning off data roaming is not enough. Most home carriers still bill you the moment your phone registers on a foreign network. This happens even with a travel eSIM installed, […]

How to Share Your Samsung eSIM Data With a Laptop (3 Ways That Actually Work)

Quick answer: Turn on Mobile Hotspot under Settings > Connections on your Galaxy phone. Then join that Wi-Fi network from your laptop. That’s the standard route. But if you own […]

How to Turn On Personal Hotspot With a Travel eSIM on iPhone

Quick answer: Go to Settings > Cellular. Set your travel eSIM as the line for Cellular Data. Turn on Data Roaming for that eSIM if you’re already abroad. Then go […]