UnderCurrent loves an opportunistic price hike, so well played to Telstra, which has written to iPad data customers informing them of a 20 per cent price increase in the cost of a 365-day data plan - from $150 to $180.

The new pricing comes into effect on Tuesday 12 June 2012.

UnderCurrent is a simple scribe, so it assumed that for an extra 20 per cent, Telstra would be happy to allow a few more gigabytes of surfing, perhaps 20 per cent more on the 12GB already offered. Thankfully, Telstra knows better, as this wonderfully worded paragraph shows:

"At this new price, you’ll still receive12GB of included data – so you can enjoy great value surfing on Australia’s largest national mobile network."

How reassuring!

UnderCurrent also admires Telstra's timing. That email was sent to our spies this morning (8 June 2012), so while on face value it appears that existing customers have four days to recharge before the new pricing comes in, the Queen's Birthday public holiday means that today is the only business day left before the increase takes effect.

UPDATE #1: UnderCurrent has been asked to remind readers and Telstra users that they can upgrade their plans "24/7 (including weekends and public holidays) over the phone, online or via their iPads".

Click the image to open it at full size.

UPDATE #2: UnderCurrent received feedback from some corners suggesting that this particular plan was originally 10GB and is being upgraded to 12GB. With some help from its proper journalist friends, UnderCurrent received the following advice from a Telstra source: "It was 12GB and remains 12GB".