Who's the nose-bleediest of them all?

UPDATE Monday: Since last May, when Communications Minister Stephen Joyce first flagged the Australian and New Zealand government's intention to investigate transtasman roaming, Telecom and Vodafone have both introduced steep cuts.

"The idea that we should pay 3,000 times the standard rate for data when traveling abroad is ludicrous and amounts to nothing more than daylight robbery," said Mr Brislen - who was recently handed an $1800 bill afterwards a few days of average mobile phone use in Sydney.

The announcement came at the Kanz summit in Tasmania

The announcement came at the Kanz summit in Tasmania, where New Zealand communications minister Steven Joyce has been meeting with his Australian counterpart, senator Stephen Conroy.

The two ministers’ decision to proceed was based on analysis of traffic and revenue information provided by the operators as then as views expressed by respondents to the May 2010 consultation.

Regulatory intervention "Many New Zealanders take their mobile phone, tablet or laptop with them when they travel to Australia. They need to have confidence that they are purchasing services in a competitive market. If this investigation finds they are not, at that time regulatory intervention will be considered."

The investigation will be conducted

The investigation will be conducted by New Zealand’s Ministry of Economic Development and Australia’s Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Christchurch-based consultant and commentator Ben Kepes - who was invited to Kanz to brief Korean, NZ and Austrlaian ministers on cloud computing developments - described the interaction between Mr Joyce and Labor Senator Conroy at this morning's session as "cosy".

WEDNESDAY: With domestic mobile price regulation in the bag, cheerfully interventionist communications minister Steven Joyce is heading across the Tasman to discuss the "bill shock" suffered by mobile phone-packing travellers.

Mr Joyce first discussed the issue with his Australian counterpart Senator Stephen Conroy in May last year. Since at that time, the MED and ACCC have been investigating the sky-high cost of using your mobile phone when travelling to either side of the Tasman.

The two communications ministers will discuss their unprecidented transtasman investigation over the then and there two days as part of the biannual Korea Australia New Zealand summit in Tasmania. The gabfest will cover a range of broadband and telecommunications issues.

The minister'

The minister's office had no immediate response. The minister himself was in the air, en route to Tasmania - the state that saw the first fibre laid as part of Australia's National Broadband Network.