Are NZ Mobile Plans Overpriced Compared to Global Unlimited Roaming Deals?

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SpartanVXL

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#3477205 2-Apr-2026 16:02

Until recently you could get an aussie sim with roaming data as part of the plan that would work here and elsewhere, no extra payment at all. Then the ID verification got tighter and they check you have a valid visa otherwise the plan gets cancelled.

The people who can pay will keep paying, the people who find it unpalatable will find the other options quickly.

And yes 1GB for a week roaming packages are ridiculous when you can easily find 10-20GB for the same or less price.

quickymart

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#3477358 2-Apr-2026 18:45

maxzzz:

Free (the French telecom operator, known as a disruptor, similar to what 2degrees once was in New Zealand) has just launched a new open plan called Free Max for €30/month (roughly $60 NZD).

Just had a look at this (I had to use Google Translate to read the page as my French is amazingly bad) but it seems you can't buy a data-only eSIM, you have to transfer your current number? Am I missing something, or would you just select a new (presumably French) number and simply not use it?

KiwiSurfer

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#3478337 5-Apr-2026 21:30

Will be interesting to see how long that lasts. I suspect they're gambling on there not being a lot of roaming traffic (and I mean just the occasional trips abroad as a reasonable person would do) and thus able to offset any costs from the occasional trips.

This is no unlike e.g. Singaporean travel sims that offer 100GB of roaming data in 30 days -- they know full well a typical customer won't use that much but also they can take the costs on the chin for the 1-in-every-100 customer that does. The fact Singapore telcos offers 100GB roaming in Thailand shouldn't mean that Thai operators should also do so -- they're selling into completely different markets.

If they find lots of people are buying their SIMs and taking it out of the country for unlimited data they may well revise that deal.

Operators already take a fairly dim view to excessive roaming. E.g. O2 UK has a Roaming Fair Usage Policy. They say 'inclusive roaming services outside the UK for more than 63 days in any four-month period is what we consider to be unfair use' and the penalty is steep for data - £3.50 per GB. I know other EU operators have similar policies -- especially due to the high level of roaming due to the EU mandating free roaming (but the same EU also has rules for fair use IIRRC).

I wouldn't bother. The 300ms round trip just to get to the first hop and then another 300ms to go back to NZ for video calls and other NZ-bound traffic would drive me mad. Add the very real possibility that the French telco will apply a fair use policy. Makes no sense really -- it is just a marketing gimmick to get their local customers to sign up to that plan.

taneb1

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#3478344 6-Apr-2026 00:04

Had a look through the T&C's and they've got a few parts calling out excessive/exclusive usage being outside of France being moved to standard roaming rates with a 15 day notice period. At the same time also wouldn't be surprised if they enforce local activation first before roaming is allowed.

Similar to experiences people have had with 3HK - Roaming eSIM's can sometimes be an alright option (especially for backup data) but aren't great when you need to local access things like AT Park, TAB or even the KFC app and start getting geoblocked as the traffics coming in from an overseas IP.

Any comments made are my personal views and does not represent those of my employer

SickmanNZ

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#3480863 14-Apr-2026 20:57

I used Free Mobile last time I was in Europe 2 yrs ago where I flew into France and went to a store for a physic SIM (had an old phone at the time). I had the 350GB plan which allowed 35GB per month in Italy, Switzerland etc. It had good coverage everywhere and could hotspot tether. It was great and cheap. They have been a cheap provide for a while now so not going anywhere and are not new to the market.

Anyone tested activating the eSIM out of France? I am going to Europe (but not France) for 3 months and there 350GB or Max plans are probably the best around so I am keen to get one if I can activate outside of France. Reading on their website using a translator it looks likes you can.

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