Telstra fires back at roaming price cuts with shared data plans

Telstra has responded to Vodafone’s international roaming plan and Optus’ plans aimed at reducing bill shock by introducing a shared data plan for its customers.

In early August, Vodafone unveiled plans that see users charged just $5 extra per day while using their phones overseas.

In September, Optus responded by introducing new plans that automatically bump users up to a higher plan if they exceed their included calls or data, rather than automatically fining them excess usage charges.

Customers revert back to their regular plan for the following month.

Telstra has responded with a new plan that allows consumers to pool the included data on a range of different mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, on to a single plan.

“The new packages mean customers with up to four devices can now connect with the convenience of sharing a single pool of data on the Telstra Mobile Network … removing the need to look for alternative connection points such as public WiFi access, which is often inconvenient and can be vulnerable to security risks,” Telstra says in a statement.