Telecom changes to roaming charges

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom changes to roaming charges

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#729736 10-Dec-2012 13:21

hamish225: I'd be interested to know as to why they don't extend this flat rate price to pre paid customers, is our money not good enough for you?

possibly the risk of arbitrage.

Its quite possible they are making a loss on this price. If they allowed it on prepay then people could just take a telecom sim over to Oz purely for data roaming and keep their 2degrees/vf when back here. Telecom would need to ensure they at leats get the domestic revenues from the account to make up for it.

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

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#729737 10-Dec-2012 13:22

I've just recently came back from Malaysia (and Singapore) and I'm on Vodafone, so I bought 3x Zone 2 200MB and 1x Zone 2 40MB and total of NZD170...

Anyhow, for a short 1 week trip, I tolerated with it, but then you can get TuneTalk with dirty cheap data in Malaysia! http://tunetalk.com/

Seeing the offers from Vodafone and the Telecom's, the pricing is ok but by no mean anywhere as tempting and exciting compare to the local telcos' offers.

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#729743 10-Dec-2012 13:33

chiefie: I've just recently came back from Malaysia (and Singapore) and I'm on Vodafone, so I bought 3x Zone 2 200MB and 1x Zone 2 40MB and total of NZD170...

Anyhow, for a short 1 week trip, I tolerated with it, but then you can get TuneTalk with dirty cheap data in Malaysia! http://tunetalk.com/

Seeing the offers from Vodafone and the Telecom's, the pricing is ok but by no mean anywhere as tempting and exciting compare to the local telcos' offers.

The main benefit of using roaming would be that you dont need to research local offers, dont need to buy a local sim or investigate whether your phone will work or not, and can maintain access to your NZ number to receive calls..

Obviously when roaming is expensive these conveniences are outweighed by price.

Hypotheitcally if you had been on the new Telecom plans in these locations (the rates dont count for these countries anyway, so this is very much hypothetical) then it would have cost you only $6 x 6 days = $36.

so still probably a bit more than you paid for your local sim with some credit, but would it have been a sufficiently large difference to warrant the hassle of getting and setting up a local sim?

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#729748 10-Dec-2012 13:35

ajobbins:
Shock: $6 a day flat rate to Aussie is awesome (more so because of upcoming trip to Melbourne).

Still cheaper to get an Optus SIM for $2/day unlimited calls/data/txt in Oz.

Cheaper yes but they are in the ball park now and convenience becomes a huge factor. $4 a day ? Nothing to your typical traveler and they will likely just leave it.

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#729757 10-Dec-2012 13:44

NonprayingMantis: The main benefit of using roaming would be that you dont need to research local offers, dont need to buy a local sim or investigate whether your phone will work or not, and can maintain access to your NZ number to receive calls..

Obviously when roaming is expensive these conveniences are outweighed by price.

Hypotheitcally if you had been on the new Telecom plans in these locations (the rates dont count for these countries anyway, so this is very much hypothetical) then it would have cost you only $6 x 6 days = $36.

so still probably a bit more than you paid for your local sim with some credit, but would it have been a sufficiently large difference to warrant the hassle of getting and setting up a local sim?

Data roaming is only good for very short trip... no doubt about it! And your example only for Australia roaming, but the price listed for the countries that I will be more likely be in for some length of time, the new data roaming prices are a bit better but I won't be tempted to roam. The price is enough to give me incentive to find local SIM and 2 mins to set up. There's nothing to set up, the smartphone will automatically configure itself, and few SMS code and up and running, as low as RM0.88 for 50MB a day.

Also, it has become a habit that I will carry a secondary phone to hold my roaming SIM card and using my main smartphone for local SIM. That way I still can receive important SMS and voice call should I want to on my roaming SIM - I will do this for longer trip.

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#729769 10-Dec-2012 13:52

Easy to see flaws, but a step in the right direction at least!

This really is aimed mainly at the business users who have 'more important' uses for their time than seeking local sims and need ease of use.
They will lap up "88% cost savings" for doing nothing different

I will buy a local sim still

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#729771 10-Dec-2012 13:54

NonprayingMantis:...

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

I use the Optus $2 a day prepay plan when I'm over there - unlimited calls to landline and mobiles and unlimited data. I haven't looked but I imagine there must be even better post paid plans available.

NonprayingMantis

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#729772 10-Dec-2012 13:56

groynk: Easy to see flaws, but a step in the right direction at least!

This really is aimed mainly at the business users who have 'more important' uses for their time than seeking local sims and need ease of use.
They will lap up "88% cost savings" for doing nothing different

I will buy a local sim still

I think it is pretty handy even for non-business travellers going to oz.

If I am going ot ozzie for a week on holiday then I am quite happy to spend $35 knowing I have unlimited data whilst over there for using maps, skype, email browsing, etc etc.

I could probably save a few bucks by going to a telstra or optus store, but when you have two toddlers and want to make the best use of your timeon holiday the last thing you want to be doing is standing in a telecom store for 15 minutes whilst they provision a sim.

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#729786 10-Dec-2012 14:00

tigercorp:
NonprayingMantis:...

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

I use the Optus $2 a day prepay plan when I'm over there - unlimited calls to landline and mobiles and unlimited data. I haven't looked but I imagine there must be even better post paid plans available.

its only mobile internet on your handset. you can't use it for tethering or put the sim in a non-handset device (e.g. a dongle or mifi) which means if you want to use it for serious volumes of downloads it is still possible, but quite difficult..

"Sadly when you do read the Optus fine print in the Terms & Conditions it says the $2 charges exclude "mobile handset tethering and use of non mobile voice devices""

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#729798 10-Dec-2012 14:09

freitasm: Very good pricing. Unless you have a longer stay, forget getting local SIM cards.

I got the heads up earlier today and it was quite timely given we have staff travelling abroad. They usually take advice on turning off roaming data but now I could tell them not to bother and in fact, not even bother with usury hotel wifi and just use their phones as wifi hot spots.

Local SIMs were never a goer because of the complexity and the need to still receive calls. There is a push against carrying two phones.

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#729800 10-Dec-2012 14:10

NonprayingMantis:

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

A$2 per day gets you unlimited data, voice and SMS on Optus.

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#729802 10-Dec-2012 14:12

lchiu7:
freitasm: Very good pricing. Unless you have a longer stay, forget getting local SIM cards.

I got the heads up earlier today and it was quite timely given we have staff travelling abroad. They usually take advice on turning off roaming data but now I could tell them not to bother and in fact, not even bother with usury hotel wifi and just use their phones as wifi hot spots.

Local SIMs were never a goer because of the complexity and the need to still receive calls. There is a push against carrying two phones.

I see local SIM's as a big selling point because I want to receive calls, and not pay $1 per minute for that. I top my Aussie SIM up every time I go to Aussie and can get 1GB of data for $10 and pay peanuts for voice calls. This allows me to call friends over there at a cheaper price than using a NZ SIM, and more importantly to receive calls without having to worry about paying for the inbound call.

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#729803 10-Dec-2012 14:13

NonprayingMantis:
tigercorp:
NonprayingMantis:...

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

I use the Optus $2 a day prepay plan when I'm over there - unlimited calls to landline and mobiles and unlimited data. I haven't looked but I imagine there must be even better post paid plans available.

its only mobile internet on your handset. you can't use it for tethering or put the sim in a non-handset device (e.g. a dongle or mifi) which means if you want to use it for serious volumes of downloads it is still possible, but quite difficult..

"Sadly when you do read the Optus fine print in the Terms & Conditions it says the $2 charges exclude "mobile handset tethering and use of non mobile voice devices""

It works fine for tethering.

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#729804 10-Dec-2012 14:16

sbiddle:
NonprayingMantis:
tigercorp:
NonprayingMantis:...

(heck, if it was on prepaid then ozzies could just take a telecom prepaid sim and use it in ozzie to get unlimited data for $180 per month. Pretty sure there are no unlimited mobile data plans in ozzie so it could be an option for heavy users IF it was allowed on prepaid.)

I use the Optus $2 a day prepay plan when I'm over there - unlimited calls to landline and mobiles and unlimited data. I haven't looked but I imagine there must be even better post paid plans available.

its only mobile internet on your handset. you can't use it for tethering or put the sim in a non-handset device (e.g. a dongle or mifi) which means if you want to use it for serious volumes of downloads it is still possible, but quite difficult..

"Sadly when you do read the Optus fine print in the Terms & Conditions it says the $2 charges exclude "mobile handset tethering and use of non mobile voice devices""

It works fine for tethering.

It may "work" - but what do you get charged? Clearly it is an additional cost on top of the $2.

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#729806 10-Dec-2012 14:20

Well done Telecom. I'll still buy my $20 for 500MB and calling etc or $40 for a month of unlimited data, calling, text etc from Amaysim.

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