Information for customers about international roaming
What is ‘international roaming’?
The term international roaming is used to describe your use of a mobile network during your travel overseas. While you are in another country, the charges incurred for using your mobile service will be decided by the operator of the network that you use whilst oversees. The international network operator will provide the charges incurred to your existing mobile service provider; who will charge these to you.
Your mobile number stays the same while you’re roaming, however charges are incurred and charged at external third party carrier rates (the overseas suppliers) and passed through to your existing service provider, who will in turn bill you for the calls made.
Will I need to do anything prior to going overseas?
Before you depart Australia you will need to:
- Check that the mobile handset you plan to use overseas is supported in the country you plan to travel to.
- Contact us to activate international roaming access on your mobile handset. It is important that you contact us before you leave Australia. Please contact us at least 2 business days before your departure so we have sufficient time to process your request.
- Contact us to deactivate any International Call Barring settings on your mobile.
- Turn off any diversions you have on your mobile handset such as voice messaging or paging services. If you fail to do this any diverted calls you miss whilst overseas will result in you incurring charges for the initial international leg of the call as well as the diverted leg back to Australia.
- Before you travel overseas you should investigate the mobile operators available to you and the charges you are likely to incur from each operator.
How much will ‘international roaming’ cost?
There is no cost for activating international roaming on your handset; however once you arrive at your destination country you will be charged for:
- Calls that you make whilst roaming
You will be charged at the international mobile call rate of your Australian mobile phone company for the international leg of the call, and at the standard mobile call rate of the international mobile phone company for the leg carried on that network. - Calls you receive while roaming
When you receive a call from Australia or any other country, the person who calls you will be charged for a standard mobile call to your number as if you were in Australia. You will be charged for the call to be re-directed from Australia to the country you are in. In some countries, you may also be charged airtime rates for incoming calls by the overseas network you are roaming on. This differs from receiving calls while not roaming, where the caller pays for the call. - Data you use and text/SMS messages you send whilst overseas
These will be charged at the rate of the overseas network operator you’re using, plus any surcharges that apply. - Calls you make or data you use whilst on a capped or included value plan
International and international roaming charges are not part of the included call or data value of any of our capped or included value plans. Charges will be incurred at standard rates.
How will ‘international roaming charges’ display on my Community Telco invoice?
All international roaming charges will appear under ‘Other Provider Purchase’ on your standard Community Telco invoice. If international roaming charges have been incurred your invoice will also contain a ‘Provider Legend’ (on the last page of your invoice) that references the international carrier that has charged you.
Remember, the time it takes the overseas networks to provide us with billing information will affect when charges appear on your account. This may be up to three months after you return from overseas.
IMPORTANTLY: There is no GST on international roaming calls made and/or received overseas.
How to avoid unexpectedly high bills
It’s easy to run up a very big bill, very quickly, without realising you are doing it. Costs can increase at a rapid rate because you are being charged for both making and receiving calls. Before you travel overseas you should investigate the mobile operators available to you and the charges you are likely to incur from each operator.
Alternatives to international roaming
Think carefully about who you want to accept calls from whilst overseas. Consider using alternatives such as email or a pre-paid international calling card to make local and international calls whilst overseas. Using SMS may be cheaper than making voice calls.
Remember, data will also be charged at higher rates when you travel overseas. To remove any chance of incurring considerable data charges you may like to consider having this functionality turned off.
If you can’t pay your bill due to high international roaming charges, your phone service may be restricted. You may also have a default recorded with credit rating agencies, which makes it harder for you to obtain credit in the future.
Remember - if you are having problems paying your account you should contact us immediately to discuss options available to you. Concerns about international roaming charges
If you have any concerns about International Roaming or costs you have incurred,
click here to contact our customer service staff.