True, although that limits you to Gizmo rates, with a ipkall number you can still terminate it on VOIP, or forward it via the provider that has the most suitable rates. For this usage, forwarding to an Australian mobile, it'd be nearly 20c/min on Gizmo compared to 7c/min (US) on a local provider like Pennytel.

The way Gizmo credit expires a year after purchase has always annoyed me so I avoid them. I see the minimum purchase is now smaller, but before when it was $25 it made it an effective annual fee for low users. (of course really low users like me are not profitable, so driving me away with expiry dates works for them!).

Thanks for all the info. I would dearly like to get a Google Voice account, but they're not giving them out at the moment. Any advice on where to get one, would be appreciated.

I am happy to use a US SIM in a spare phone in Australia, as the frequency of calls would only be a couple of calls per month, if that, and I have a spare phone. I have an Australian mobile for local use. The long period out of the US is my difficulty, I don't want a contract, I am happy to pay a reasonable fee.

T-Mobile's your answer then. $100 in it gives you a one-year validity period. $10 a year after that keeps it going. (This assumes low usage, of course, but it's cheap to keep it going even with very low usage.)

But it does not roam.

True, but get a Samsung T409 off eBay for $30 (or a better UMA phone for more) and you can use it with hotspots around the world at the US minute price.

It's a slightly fiddly solution, but it does work, and there are no roaming fees.

It does not need to. He can call the 805 voicemail number to get the messages, or use the phone via UMA.

US prepaid that roams overseas does not exist. Canadian roaming is rare enough.

Yah. ATT roams in Mexico, but not Canada. TMobile roams in Canada, but not Mexico. Go figure.

Tmobile works in Mexico and Canada. I was in Cozumel in March and used my tmobile payg there without problems. It goes back and forth between telcel and Movistar. I also used tzones without any problems. Good to be able to view CNN, ESPN, etc. freely.

Hi, I am the CEO of ekit, the provider of the Passport card. The US service is required to be activated to make outbound calls in the US. It stays active if you make a call or send a text once a week. You can re-activate by dialing a shortcode 870 from the mobile or going to the web. You can receive calls to the US service indefinitely, even if the service isn't active, provided you make a call or send a text at least once every 9 months. I hope that helps. Please send through any additional questions you may have.

I'm happy to let you know that US prepaid, that roams overseas does exist. ekit recently launched a dual US and UK number service which is prepaid (press release attached). You can receive calls on both the US and UK numbers regardless of your location. The service provides both cost effective roaming in 130 countries. Let me know if you'd like any more information on the service.