TravelSIM welcomes govt investigation into mobile roaming charges

By Wright Communications

The investigation was announced yesterday after a meeting of New Zealand communications minister Steven Joyce and his Australian counterpart, senator Stephen Conroy, in Tasmania. The two governments expect to release their final decision in early 2012.

"New Zealand consumers have for years been paying over the odds when using their mobile phone in Australia," said James Currah, chief executive of TravelSIM New Zealand, which offers significant savings on overseas roaming charges to Kiwi travellers. "Business travellers particularly are caught out when using their phones as normal to take and make vital calls in Australia, which is not that far away. It serves no one to have such high rates.

"Data roaming bills can quickly get into tens of thousands of dollars through the use of technology such as iPhones, Blackberries and iPads. Consumers rack up huge charges when checking emails, and taking / sending photos and video from offshore."

The governmental investigation will be conducted by New Zealand's Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and Australia's Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. The decision to proceed was based on analysis of traffic and revenue information provided by the mobile operators as well as views expressed by respondents to a consultation in May last year.

TravelSIM customers globally save up to 75 per cent on the cost of roaming and can receive calls free in more than 70 countries. Travellers to Europe experience the biggest savings as most countries are free to receive calls there.

TravelSIM, which has been operating out of Australia for four years and in Europe since 1998, can offer such reasonable rates via its global roaming network of 350 carriers, said Mr Currah. TravelSIM offers data rates for roaming in Europe at half the price of its competitors and will extend these to other parts of the world later this year.

TravelSIM features, rates and coverage destinations can be viewed at www.travelsim.co.nz

Cost of five-minute call from London back to NZ (NZD)

Vodafone

Telecom

2Degrees

TravelSIM

$13.95

$14.45

$21.95

$2.50

Note: Rates are taken from websites standard prepaid published rates as of 30th April 2011.

Ends

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