Optus reduces roaming rates, all eyes on Telstra Bill shock: Many who travel overseas have experienced it and the telcos are working to stop it. Pressure is mounting on Telstra to reduce its global roaming charges after Optus joined Vodafone and announced significantly cheaper rates for those who use their mobile phone while travelling overseas. As well as announcing it would simplify its five geographical pricing zones to two in mid-September - and significantly reduce what it charges for calls, texts and data in those zones - Optus also said that, from November, it would offer a $10 per day "travel pack" that would allow customers travelling to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Europe, the UK, US, Canada and Asia to make unlimited calls, texts and browse the internet using 30 megabytes of data. The reduction in roaming charges, made on the eve of expected further news from Vodafone on roaming, should mean Optus loses the title of "Australia's worst network for data roaming pricing," which was given to it by the Australian Business Traveller website in 2011. The travel pack deal is similar to Vodafone's announced in late July, which enables customers to pay $5 a day and use their existing plans to make calls, send text messages and browse the web while travelling in certain countries. Asher Moses, a spokesman for the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, which represents consumers on communications issues, said the new offerings from Vodafone and Optus were "significantly cheaper" than the charges they slugged consumers with previously, but he said it was likely that buying a SIM card at a travel destination would still be a much cheaper option for travellers. Since the Vodafone announcement, Telstra has stayed mum on what it might do to reduce global roaming charges, but hinted earlier this month that it might take action in September. I'm not so driven by what others say. I'm more driven by what we do for our customers and what is right for us," Telstra CEO David Thodey said when asked about data roaming and excess usage charges. I think we've got a pretty good feel on that. I'm not inclined to talk about what we're going to do next month, but I can tell you we know very intimately whatever is going on in the market and we respond. Telstra on Wednesday reissued a statement that it offers "a range of international data packs" and that it now warns customers within seconds via SMS about every 20 megabytes of data used while overseas. "This gives our customers visibility and control of their usage when travelling," it said. We are working hard to educate our customers about roaming costs. Mr Moses said Telstra should reduce its fees. "The reduction in roaming charges by Optus and Vodafone only serves to further highlight the gross overcharging that Telstra customers have become all too used to," Mr Moses said. If Telstra is really listening to its customers it would bring its roaming charges back down to Earth. ACCAN has been campaigning against what it has dubbed the "global roaming rort" for some time now and has pointed to a 2008 KPMG report showing that roamed calls should only cost 10 to 20 per cent more than non-roaming calls. According to ACCAN, telco profit margins for global roaming are up to 400 per cent higher than the profit made on local calls. "Consumers are increasingly aware that they are being taken for a ride by providers addicted to the massive profits derived from the global roaming rort," Mr Moses said. Optus said it was able to offer its new reduced rates after signing agreements with carriers in 182 countries. "Optus understands that people want to use their phones while travelling, so we've made our prices fairer and simpler for the whole world," said Vicki Brady, managing director of Optus's Customer division. We want our customers to feel confident in using their phones overseas and know that they don't have to worry about their phone bill when they return. If a customer doesn't purchase a travel pack and they're travelling in zone 1 regions (New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Europe, the UK, US, Canada and Asia) they will be charged 50 cents to send a text message, $1 a minute to receive and make calls and 50 cents to use 1 megabyte of data (previously data was charged at about $20 per megabyte in many regions). If travelling to zone two countries (Latin America, Africa and the Middle East), customers will be charged $1 to send a text message, $2 a minute to receive and make calls and $1 to use 1 megabyte of data. As yet, no travel packs exist for zone 2 regions, meaning customers cannot pay $10 a day while travelling in those countries. What a megabyte will cost you: On Telstra while overseas and without purchasing a data pack: $15.36 On Vodafone while in most countries overseas and without a data pack: $10 On Optus while overseas and without a data pack: 50¢ in zone 1; $1 in zone 2 This reporter is on Facebook: /bengrubb