Optus' new international roaming rates are much more affordable

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 03 May 2022

With international travel starting to become A Thing once again, Optus has given its international roaming rates a very welcome makeover. When travelling in what the telco calls "Zone 1" destinations, you now have the choice of paying $5 for a 5GB data pack with a 24-hour expiry, or $35 for a 35GB data pack that lasts an entire week.

No matter which option you pick, you'll get unlimited talk and text. This can be used to get in touch with friends or family back home, but will also let you dial or message any other "Zone 1" destination.

Optus postpaid customers previously relied on its "Roaming Pass" system, where you'd pay $10 per day for a single gig of data, or $50 upfront for 5GB with a seven-day expiry.

Optus' new roaming options are available to customers on an Optus Choice Plus, Optus Plus Family, or Optus Plus Kids mobile plan. Customers on older plans will still use the old Roaming Pass.

Here is the current range of Optus Choice Plus plans:

#1	Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $39.00/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39.00/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $69 Optus Promo Plan 360GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: Get up to $10/mth SubHub credit to use on your favourite subscriptions for 12 months. T&Cs apply. $69.00/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69.00/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#3	Optus	Optus $70 Optus Choice Plus Plan 240GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device $70.00/mth Min. cost $70 Go to Site	$70.00/mth Min. cost $70	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus $90 Optus Choice Plus Plan 480GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device SubHub: Receive up to $20/mth SubHub credit when you have an active SubHub account with subs greater than $0. T&Cs apply $90.00/mth Min. cost $90 Go to Site	$90.00/mth Min. cost $90	Go to Site

These plans can also be paired with a new phone.

Customers on an eligible plan can activate international roaming through the My Optus app.

Optus' roaming Zone 1 encompasses North America, Europe, Asia, as well as New Zealand. For example, you can definitely roam with Optus in the following countries:

USA
Singapore
New Zealand
France
China
Hong Kong
Poland
Sweden
Norway
United Kingdom

If you're travelling to a Zone 2 country on an Optus plan, you'll pay-as-you-go instead, with rates typically looking at $1.50 per minute of talk, $0.50 per SMS, and $1 per megabyte of data. That means downloading just 1GB would cost you over $1,000. Zone 2 is predominantly made up of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.

Optus' revamped roaming makes it far more competitive with Vodafone's $5 per day option. While billed at the same daily rate, Vodafone lets you use your local allowance overseas instead of buying a separate overseas allowance. Telstra is the most expensive option for roaming, where you'll pay $10 per day for a 500MB allowance.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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