I wrote this yesterday and it should have been published then. Unfortunately there were some nameserver problems which meant the site was down for hours. Back now!

Most people are aware that traveling overseas with their own mobile phone can result in fairly sizable bills upon return. In the case of iPhones (and possibly other smartphones), even when data-consuming apps aren’t in use, the handset may still send or receive data. Transferring as little as a single megabyte can see a usage charge of $50 or more, which is usually excluded from any included data one might normally enjoy in Australia.

Telstra have obviously decided to combat the problem of angry customers disputing $10,000 bills by Introducing a wider set of data packs designed for overseas travelers. While not exactly cheap, it’s a step in the right direction to avoiding “bill shock”.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Telstra’s international data roaming packs, as taken from their website:

These data packs have two drawbacks: firstly, they’re only valid in 25 countries. Secondly, and more importantly, data usage can still be racked up once the included limit has been reached. Because of the nature of overseas billing, it’s very difficult for users to keep track of their usage or even be aware they have exceeded their included allowance. Data usage above and beyond that allowance is charged at the standard $15.36 (plus 50c connection fee per data session initiated) per Mb.

Information on the new data packs can be found on Telstra’s website.