Let me say from the outset that anything to save customers money on international roaming is a good thing, but there are much better options than using your existing sim card to travel with. Buy an international roaming sim card or a local prepaid sim card when you arrive.
Below is an announcement from Telstra on the new alert service they are launching:
Telstra has introduced an SMS alert system designed to minimise bill shock by keeping customers informed of how much data they are using whilst traveling overseas.Tim Webber, Director, Telstra Mobile said the new SMS alerts would be sent for every 20 megabytes (MB) of data used overseas*.
“A growing number of our customers are taking their mobile devices overseas to access their emails, get live maps and stay connected to their favorite social networks while travelling,” Mr Webber said. “While most travelers will have booked in vaccinations, organised their passport and bought travel insurance, many don’t think to check in with their mobile provider about international roaming. “To help customers manage their data costs, we will now automatically send our customers data usage alerts via SMS every time they roam overseas. “These will be sent each time 20MB of data is used overseas and is designed to keep our customers informed of how much data they are using whilst traveling.” Mr Webber said Telstra had also recently increased the value included in its International Casual Traveller Data Packs, which come with pre-purchased allowances to help keep roaming costs managable. “Not only have we doubled the included data in these packs but we’ve also doubled, to a total of 50, the eligible countries in which customers can use them, by adding popular international destinations including India, Ireland and Vietnam”. Mr Webber said Telstra had worked to make sure customers were better informed about roaming charges before and while they were overseas. “As smartphones and tablets become even more mainstream, we’re finding some later adopters are less likely to know about data charges – both in Australia and overseas.
“Before flying out we encourage our customers to contact us and make sure they are fully informed about all potential costs and charges of international roaming. “The last thing we want is for customers traveling overseas to return home to an unexpected bill that costs as much as their night in a New York hotel room.”
As many people have rightly pointed out, 20MB of international roaming data will cost you over A$300, however if you buy a data pack from Telstra, 20MB costs $30. My issue is, how long do you think 20MB will actually last you? If you are serious about using data overseas then look at alternative options.
