Helia now enables Option Voyage roaming access by default: what changed on August 6
August 12, 2026. Helia by OPT-NC changed how several overseas mobile services are provisioned for customers in New Caledonia on August 6. Internet Mobile Voyage access is now enabled by default for M plans, eligible connected-device plans and Liberté prepaid kits. Incoming calls are enabled by default on M plans, and Liberté customers can receive SMS abroad at no charge.
This does not mean mobile data is free or that every customer automatically starts using it. The phone's own data-roaming setting must still be switched on before the Helia line can send mobile data through a foreign network. Once it is on, an M-plan customer without a pass can be billed at the current pay-as-you-go rate.
The practical answer: travelers no longer need to request access before departure, but they still need to decide which line will carry data. If the Helia line is only needed for the +687 number, keep that line active, turn off data roaming for it, select a separate Roaming eSIM for mobile data, and turn off automatic cellular-data switching. Calls and sent texts on the Helia line can still cost extra.
What Helia changed on August 6, 2026
Helia's service-change notice and new Option Voyage information sheet describe three changes:
| Customer and service | Before August 6 | From August 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Mobile Voyage access | A separate request was required | Enabled by default for M plans, connected-device plans and Liberté prepaid kits |
| Incoming calls on an M plan | A code had to be entered before departure | Enabled by default |
| Incoming SMS on Liberté prepaid | Not listed as an available Liberté roaming service | Available and free to receive in every destination where the service works |
The older February sheet did not list inbound SMS for Liberté and told customers to request Internet Mobile Voyage activation. The August sheet adds Liberté inbound SMS and states that overseas data access is enabled by default. That document comparison is what makes this a policy change rather than a restyled help page.
Provisioning and usage are separate. Helia enables the service on the account. The traveler controls whether the phone is allowed to use the Helia line for data abroad. On iPhone, Helia points to Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data Options and Data Roaming. Its Android path is Settings, Connections, Mobile Networks and Data Roaming, although labels vary by phone.
Why automatic access can change the bill
The current rates did not start on August 6. Helia's rate sheet says they have applied since February 1, 2025. What changed is the need to request access before a compatible line can use them.
| Helia zone | Pay-as-you-go data | Cost of 100MB at the listed rate | Included destinations, in part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 3.18 XPF per MB, tax included | 318 XPF | Australia, France, New Zealand, Japan, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and listed French territories |
| Zone 2 | 10.60 XPF per MB, tax included | 1,060 XPF | Vanuatu, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Fiji and selected European countries |
| Zone 3 | 53 XPF per MB, tax included | 5,300 XPF | Rest of world |
The 100MB figures are simple multiples of Helia's per-MB prices, not estimates of a typical day. Background photo uploads, app updates, cloud backup and navigation can use data without the traveler opening a browser. Helia's own checklist tells customers to restrict app updates and to control roaming data in the phone settings.
M-plan customers also have spending alerts at 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 XPF before tax. The last threshold triggers a block. These are backstops, not a real-time budget tool. Helia says voice and SMS consumption can reach its usage display 48 to 72 hours late, and an alert may be unavailable where SMS is disrupted.
Who can use which Helia service abroad
The account type matters. The August sheet does not give every customer the same mix of services.
M plans
M-plan customers can use calls, SMS and Internet Mobile Voyage where Helia has a compatible partner service. Incoming calls are now enabled without the old activation code. Calls remain chargeable, including received calls and some voicemail routing. Sent SMS is also chargeable; received SMS is free.
An M-plan customer can buy a 10GB or 30GB Zone 1 pass before departure. Helia also permits purchase after arrival over Wi-Fi or pay-as-you-go mobile data. If mobile data is used to buy the pass, the connection is metered until the pass replaces that rate, and the purchase SMS is charged at the applicable roaming rate.
Connected-device plans
Eligible connected-device plans can use SMS and a Zone 1 travel pass, subject to the device and partner network. These are not ordinary phone plans, so do not assume that a tracker, router or other connected device can make calls. Helia says these customers can buy after arrival over Wi-Fi, but the pass excludes low-volume connected-device offers.
Liberté prepaid kits
Liberté customers can now receive SMS abroad for free. This is useful for bank codes, 3D Secure checks and account verification tied to the +687 number. The current sheet lists inbound SMS only, not ordinary roaming calls or sent SMS, for this product.
A Liberté customer can use a Zone 1 Internet Voyage pass, but it must be bought and activated in New Caledonia before departure. The price is taken from the prepaid balance.
What the Helia travel passes include
Helia currently lists two passes:
| Pass | Price | Validity | Where it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10GB | 2,500 XPF including tax | 30 days after activation | Zone 1 only |
| 30GB | 6,000 XPF including tax | 30 days after activation | Zone 1 only |
Zone 1 covers Australia, France, New Zealand, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, Japan, Reunion, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique. It does not include Helia's Zone 2 destinations, such as Vanuatu, Fiji, Singapore, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain or Italy.
The distinction is easy to miss: Option Voyage operates across more than 100 destinations, but the two published data passes cover only Zone 1. A traveler outside Zone 1 should not interpret an active Option Voyage account as a prepaid allowance.
For M plans, Helia says data reverts to pay-as-you-go billing after the pass allowance is used. Check consumption in the Helia app instead of assuming data stops at 10GB or 30GB.
Calls and SMS still depend on the phone and visited network
Automatic account activation does not guarantee that every service will work in every place. Helia says 2G and 3G closures have split calls, SMS and data across different partner networks in some destinations. Voice on a 4G-only network needs Voice over LTE roaming and a compatible phone.
Helia's sheet says iPhones running later than iOS 15 are compatible with its VoLTE arrangement. It also warns that some Android phones with VoLTE hardware are not compatible while roaming. The safest check is the exact phone model, software version, destination and recommended partner network, not a 4G or 5G logo alone.
This issue is especially relevant in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China, which Helia flags as 4G-only destinations for some services. Check the operator's destination selector before the flight, enable VoLTE if required, and save an app-based contact route over data. A successful data connection is not proof that ordinary calls will work.
Helia roaming or Roaming eSIM: which is better for this trip?
Neither option wins every requirement. Start with the function the traveler must preserve.
| Need | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Receive security codes on the +687 number | Helia line kept active | Liberté and the listed mobile plans can receive SMS abroad where service is available |
| Receive ordinary calls on the +687 number | Helia M plan | M plans retain the home number and now have inbound calls enabled by default, subject to charges and compatibility |
| Put a fixed data allowance on a Zone 1 trip | Compare both | Helia has 10GB and 30GB passes; Roaming eSIM has route-specific live choices with visible plan fields |
| Buy prepaid data for a Zone 2 or Zone 3 trip | Roaming eSIM may fit better | Helia's published passes are Zone 1 only, while a destination or regional Roaming eSIM can avoid pay-per-MB data where a live plan exists |
| Keep home-number access but isolate mobile data | Dual-line setup | Keep Helia for supported calls or SMS and select Roaming eSIM as the data line |
🏆 Where Roaming eSIM wins: the traveler can choose a prepaid data plan for the actual destination instead of exposing the home line to an open-ended per-MB rate. Live cards show the allowance, validity, retail price, network speed, named operators and whether that specific plan is eligible for a top-up. The support hub also publishes 24/7 and WhatsApp help.
The live catalog check on August 12 returned 34 Australia choices, 18 France choices, 17 New Zealand choices and 43 Japan choices. Those counts are choices, not unique underlying networks, and availability can change. Use the four cards below to compare the current routes.
Helia remains better where the +687 number itself is the product: ordinary carrier calls on an M plan and incoming security texts on supported lines. Most Roaming eSIM plans are data-only unless the selected card says otherwise. A travel data plan does not move the New Caledonia number, include Helia voice service or remove Helia's call charges.
A safer dual-line setup before leaving New Caledonia
1. Confirm the exact Helia service needed
Decide whether the home line is needed for incoming SMS, ordinary calls or both. Check the destination and recommended partner on Helia's Option Voyage page. If voice matters, ask Helia to confirm roaming calls and VoLTE for the exact phone.
2. Choose the data line before departure
For a Helia Zone 1 pass, buy early enough to meet the product rule. Liberté users must activate it before leaving New Caledonia. For Roaming eSIM, compare a destination plan with a regional plan, check the start rule on the exact card and install it while reliable internet is available.
3. Assign each line one job
On a compatible dual-SIM phone:
- leave the Helia line on if it is needed for supported calls or SMS;
- switch data roaming off for the Helia line when it should not carry data;
- select Roaming eSIM as the mobile-data line;
- follow the selected Roaming eSIM instructions on whether its own data-roaming setting should be on;
- turn off cellular-data switching so the phone does not move data back to Helia when the travel line is weak.
Apple's Dual SIM guide and Google's Pixel Dual SIM guide show how separate lines can be assigned to calls and data. Menu labels and simultaneous-line limits vary by model and carrier.
4. Test without assuming a free call
After arrival, confirm that the intended line supplies mobile data and that an ordinary SMS can reach the +687 number if needed. Do not answer a Helia call merely as a test: the current sheet charges received calls by the minute. Check voicemail forwarding too, because Helia warns that some forwarding can create international call charges.
Ten questions New Caledonia travelers are asking about the change
Is Helia roaming data now free?
No. Account access is enabled by default, but usage is still paid through a Zone 1 pass or the applicable per-MB rate. The phone must also allow data roaming before mobile data can flow.
Will Helia start charging data while the phone is in airplane mode?
No cellular line uses mobile data in airplane mode unless the user separately restores a cellular function. The important check is what happens after airplane mode is turned off at the destination.
Can I turn off Helia data roaming and still receive SMS?
Usually, yes. The line must remain active and register on a partner network, but its data-roaming toggle can stay off. This is the practical setup for receiving a security code while another line handles data.
Are incoming Helia SMS free abroad?
The August sheet lists received SMS as free and adds inbound SMS for Liberté customers. Network availability still depends on the destination, partner and phone.
Are incoming calls free now that they are automatic?
No. Automatic activation removes the old setup code. Helia's current rate sheet charges received calls at 42.4 XPF per minute in Zone 1, 47.7 XPF in Zone 2 and 127.2 XPF in Zone 3, including tax.
Does the 10GB or 30GB pass work in Fiji or Vanuatu?
No. Both are Zone 2 destinations, while Helia limits the published passes to Zone 1. Check a destination Roaming eSIM or another verified prepaid option if fixed-price data is the priority.
Can a Liberté customer buy a pass after landing?
No. Helia says a Liberté travel pass must be bought and activated in New Caledonia before departure. M-plan customers have more after-arrival purchase options.
What happens when an M-plan pass runs out?
Helia says further connections are billed at the Option Voyage pay-as-you-go rate. Monitor the allowance in the Helia app and switch the line's data roaming off before the pass is exhausted if no further metered use is wanted.
Will a Roaming eSIM stop Helia call charges?
No. It can carry mobile data, but the Helia line still follows Helia's call, SMS and voicemail rules. Turn the Helia line off if zero home-line roaming exposure matters more than receiving the +687 number.
Which option is better for Australia, France, New Zealand or Japan?
Compare the exact trip. Helia offers the home-number advantage and Zone 1 passes. Roaming eSIM offers more allowance and validity choices, disclosed package fields and separation from home-line data billing. The better option depends on whether the traveler needs the +687 number, data only, or both.
Sources and updates
The change was verified against Helia's current notice, August 6 information sheet, destination page and pass page on August 12. The previous February sheet was checked to confirm what changed. Device setup was checked against Apple and Google guidance.
The Roaming eSIM catalog was checked through its public package endpoint on August 12. Prices, package counts, networks and top-up eligibility are live fields and can change. We will update this story if Helia changes default provisioning, rates, zones, pass destinations, plan compatibility, VoLTE guidance or Liberté rules.
