Mobile operators in competitive markets are increasingly looking to international roaming to serve as a differentiator. In Australia, Vodafone has made the latest move to reduce roaming rates.
The operator revealed it has added six Asian countries - China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand – to its A$5 ($4.45) per day international roaming plans.
The flat A$5 rate allows subscribers to continue to use their existing call, text and data allocations in supported markets.
Vodafone Australia launched the flat-rate roaming service in July last year for an initial three markets. It is now available in 46 countries, including most of Europe, the US and the UK.
The next month, Vofafone rival Optus announced a $10 per day travel pack covering multiple markets.
Optus CEO Kevin Russell also made waves late last year when he said the company and its rivals had been overcharging customers for many years - particularly with high roaming rates - and committed to tackling the “bill shock” issue head-on.