ANYONE who has travelled overseas, taking the mobile phone along, has returned home to an unexpectedly high bill that in some cases has topped the cost of the flight.

So Danny Nathanson and Ian Basckin started up their own business, vRoam, to prevent mobile phone shock.

The company has been a runaway success. In three years vRoam has grown tenfold and is now doubling every three months, with its coverage widened to all major business destinations.

"We started with just three destinations," company chief executive Mr Nathanson said.

"Now we have over 25." vRoam rents overseas phone simcards to Australians travelling to foreign shores at $2 a day.

The calls they make are the only other cost.

Mr Nathanson claims this results in a saving of about 40 per cent compared with normal mobile roaming charges levied by Australian carriers.

"Not only is vRoam price competitive, it also provides the user with a local overseas number while remaining contactable on their normal Australian mobile number," he said.

"Travellers find this is a real plus. It means locals can contact them using familiar numbers." Mr Nathanson, who has worked for Telstra, Optus and Alcatel, said he appreciated more than most that success in the cut-throat world of telecommunications depended on being able to carve out a niche in the market as far away from the giants as possible.

"Many small businesses make the mistake of trying to take on the big boys, whether by opening up a shop close to Woolies or Coles or trying to sell mobile phones in competition to Telstra," he said.

"That we have not done, and we have no plans to do so in the future "

By Ian Lovett