Telecom changes to roaming charges

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

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#729807 10-Dec-2012 14:21

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""

Lucky for me I've never read the T&C's :)

I tried a couple of years ago just to see what 'unlimited' meant and averaged close to 2GB a day torrenting over a week, with the handset tethered with no issues. I haven't tried it since but even now I get through anywhere between 100-500MB a day when I'm there (which on average is a week per month).

tigercorp

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#729812 10-Dec-2012 14:32

BiggusDoggus:
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.

Nope, that's it. The only charges are for international calls.

For infrequent trips the Telecom rate looks fantastic. But for regular or semi-regular trips I don't think you can beat a local sim.

Added to this I recently picked a cheap $AUD150 dual sim Sony Tipo which has a fantastic dual sim implementation. Keep the Optus sim in it permanently and throw in the Vodafone one to avoid carrying two phones - receive calls on both sims, hardware button to change the sim for outgoing calls and the data defaulting to one particular sim.

Apologies for running off topic...

hamish225

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#729817 10-Dec-2012 14:39

tigercorp:
BiggusDoggus:
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.

Nope, that's it. The only charges are for international calls.

For infrequent trips the Telecom rate looks fantastic. But for regular or semi-regular trips I don't think you can beat a local sim.

Added to this I recently picked a cheap $AUD150 dual sim Sony Tipo which has a fantastic dual sim implementation. Keep the Optus sim in it permanently and throw in the Vodafone one to avoid carrying two phones - receive calls on both sims, hardware button to change the sim for outgoing calls and the data defaulting to one particular sim.

Apologies for running off topic...

i don't see how they'd be able to tell weather the data was tethered or not!

unless you used some outrageous amount.

*Insert big spe*dtest result here*

openmedia

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#729818 10-Dec-2012 14:44

The main concern is around fair use. Like many others I tend to use more data when roaming as I don't have local wifi etc. Hence I use a OZ sim card with 1-2 GB of data for my trip for tethering as well as mobile use.

Now for $6/day, which I'd assume is only for the days where you use data, id be ok as long as 4-500 MB a day was acceptable.

Steve

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

ajobbins

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#729820 10-Dec-2012 14:47

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

No. They can only tell if you are tethering if you are using an APN designed for tethering, or if you are using a data device (Such as a MiFi) that they can identify by IMEI.

As long as you ensure the APN being used for tethering is the same as one used for normal handset data you are fine.

If you use a data device, expect varied results. Some people use them all the time with no issues, some people find they get kicked off the network after a day or two. In any case, using it in an Optus supplied device is likely to get you kicked faster as they will have a list of known IMEIs, but AFAIK, there are ranges they can use to determine what type of device it is anyway.

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ajobbins

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#729822 10-Dec-2012 14:48

Charging $1 for incoming calls in Oz is still a rip too, especially when outgoing is only 49c a minute...

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Behodar

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#729830 10-Dec-2012 15:11

ajobbins: No. They can only tell if you are tethering if you are using an APN designed for tethering, or if you are using a data device (Such as a MiFi) that they can identify by IMEI.

If your HTTP headers show a desktop user agent then that'd be a giveaway too.

nakedmolerat

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#729960 10-Dec-2012 20:26

Behodar:
ajobbins: No. They can only tell if you are tethering if you are using an APN designed for tethering, or if you are using a data device (Such as a MiFi) that they can identify by IMEI.

If your HTTP headers show a desktop user agent then that'd be a giveaway too.

aren't you able to set this in most smartphone? "request desktop page"?

Behodar

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#729961 10-Dec-2012 20:28

Hmm, maybe you can.

richms

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#730006 10-Dec-2012 22:03

Friend was hammering the $2 optus deal over there with torrents etc. After a month they boot you off it so you go in and get another sim. No evidence of IEMI being tracked across the use of it.

Richard rich.ms

plambrechtsen

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#730013 10-Dec-2012 22:13

richms: Friend was hammering the $2 optus deal over there with torrents etc. After a month they boot you off it so you go in and get another sim. No evidence of IEMI being tracked across the use of it.

And folks wonder why it isn't offered on prepaid....

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old3eyes

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#730166 11-Dec-2012 09:16

plambrechtsen:
richms: Friend was hammering the $2 optus deal over there with torrents etc. After a month they boot you off it so you go in and get another sim. No evidence of IEMI being tracked across the use of it.

And folks wonder why it isn't offered on prepaid....

I'm sure Rish's friend is a minority so why isn't it offered to prepay??

Regards,

Old3eyes

lchiu7

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#730176 11-Dec-2012 09:27

Probably nothing to do with that but the fact with prepaid there is no contract with Telecom so they need to be able to keep track of your usage internationally in real time and cut you off when your balance is empty. But with on account phones, you have signed a contract so they don't need to track your usage in real time and can bill you in arrears..

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sbiddle

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#730186 11-Dec-2012 09:31

old3eyes:
plambrechtsen:
richms: Friend was hammering the $2 optus deal over there with torrents etc. After a month they boot you off it so you go in and get another sim. No evidence of IEMI being tracked across the use of it.

And folks wonder why it isn't offered on prepaid....

I'm sure Rish's friend is a minority so why isn't it offered to prepay??

Probably because Telecom don't want to become the world's largest travel SIM provider in the world and instantly have thousands of foreign customers picking up $5 SIM cards and Telecom racking up massive losses as they thrash the data.

freitasm

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#730205 11-Dec-2012 09:55

sbiddle: Probably because Telecom don't want to become the world's largest travel SIM provider in the world and instantly have thousands of foreign customers picking up $5 SIM cards and Telecom racking up massive losses as they thrash the data.

^ This + 1

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