The high cost of a roaming phone

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This was published 13 years ago

The high cost of a roaming phone

By Amy Sinclair

PHONE companies are charging travellers up to 40 times more to use the internet when they are overseas than at home.

The growth in popularity of smartphones, which account for 60 per cent of new phone sales, has led to a dramatic increase in ''bill shock'', and complaints about overseas roaming have almost doubled in the past 12 months.

While most smartphone plans with the major carriers include a data allowance, many exclude access to the internet overseas.

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Optus, for example, charges 25¢ to 50¢ a megabyte for exceeding the data allowance in Australia but the cost jumps to $20.48 a megabyte when overseas, according to figures compiled by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network. These charges are in addition to monthly capped plans.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman's annual report shows complaints about roaming charges on mobile services increased by 80 per cent in the last financial year.

Alison Penney returned from a trip to the US to a phone bill of almost $5000.

Before leaving, her service provider, Telair, recommended global roaming as the best way of staying in contact with friends and family.

The phone bill for her trip was $4838, of which $4453 was for international roaming.

''This phone bill is six years of costs in one month. I'm a schoolteacher on a modest income.

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''If I thought for any moment this could happen, I would have turned the phone off permanently.''

Telair did not respond to phone calls and email messages.

ACCAN says the onus is on customers to switch off global roaming, or at least investigate the charges they will face in the countries they plan to visit.

ACCAN spokeswoman Elissa Freeman said capped plans ''are one of the most misleading products I think you could find in the entire Australian market place''.

People who were going overseas should consider buying a local prepaid SIM, and let people know to text them instead of calling, because they would pay to receive calls, she said.

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