NEW PLANS FROM OPTUS TAKE THE STING OUT OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Use your mobile with confidence across the globe in 182 countries

Think using your phone on holiday is a luxury you can’t afford? Think again! The Optus Travel range, unveiled today, delivers consumer plans that give globetrotters the freedom to use their phones overseas, thanks to simple, flat-calling rates and packages.

From mid-September 2013, Optus will reduce its five geographical pricing zones to just two, each with simple flat rates. Zone 1 will include all your favourite hot spots including New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Europe, UK, USA, Canada and Asia – that’s the top five destinations that Australians travel to*. Zone 2 includes Latin America, Africa and The Middle East. With the new Optus Travel range, you can be footloose and fancy free to roam the entire globe.

According to Optus research, 55% of consumers who have used roaming services have had a negative experience with big bills while travelling and 33% have had bills in excess of $1,000^. On many occasions, this was as a result of customers being confused by over 20 different pricing options which were dependent on where customers were calling from and where they were calling to as well as other costs such as flag fall and connection fees.

Plus, from November, Optus postpaid customers will have the option of the Optus Travel Pack. For just $10 a day, consumers can enjoy unlimited texts, unlimited calls and 30MB of data per day in Zone 1. With only a third of Optus customers activating roaming while they travel, and with half of these only using texts to keep costs down^, the Optus Travel range comes as welcome relief for holiday-happy Australians.

Vicki Brady, Managing Director, Customer at Optus said, “Optus understands that people want to use their phones while travelling, so we’ve made our prices fairer and simpler for the whole world. 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.

“Just as we launched Optus My Plan to tackle bill shock in the domestic market, Optus Travel will ensure our customers don’t live in fear of huge bills when they come back from their holiday.”

The nuts and bolts of what you get on Optus Travel Rates (for postpaid and prepaid):

**Excludes premium numbers, satellite, marine and airspace.

Here’s what you get for $10 per day with Optus Travel Packs (for postpaid):

Optus Travel Rates will be available from mid-September for existing and new customers. Optus Travel Rates will be automatically switched on from this date.

Optus Travel Packs will be available from November 2013.

Media contact
Claire Wong/Dianne Edwards
Optus Corporate Affairs
(02) 8082 7850

* Australian Bureau of Statistics:http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3401.0Media%20Release1Jun%202013?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3401.0&issue=Jun%202013&num=&view=

Optus network traffic during peak travel season from November 2012-February 2013