Vodafone has made an important step in Australia’s slow but inexorable annexation of New Zealand. Until December, Vodafone Red plan customers will be able to use their mobiles across the dutch without being slugged the $5 daily international roaming charge that the telco applies when travelling further abroad.
Over a million Aussies travel to New Zealand every year according to the ABS, making it a good testing ground for Vodafone to measure the impact on its coffers of offering free roaming to travellers. Vodafone’s international roaming users have racked up over 46 terabytes of usage in other countries since the start of 2014, and the company says that at least locally, 70 per cent of its network traffic is used by online video — a service that most customers would cut out entirely when travelling.
Now, anyone on an existing ‘roam like home’ Red or SIM Only plan from Vodafone — one with the option to opt in to $5 daily roaming when travelling — will be able to land in Christchurch or Auckland and switch on their phone without being slugged excessive charges or having an extra fee applied to their account. [Vodafone]