Really? In the Lyca US thread everyone seemed to be saying they weren't charging for incoming calls.

But ok, if you are sure about this, we have:

• Lyca charges 2c/min incoming and outgoing.
• Toggle charges almost 5c/min (3p = 4.7c) outgoing and 0 incoming

So assuming they have no other arrangements in the US, if Toggle is using the same Lyca platform they are still viable if they have 2x more incoming calls than outgoing calls in the US.

Question: how much are the other US prepaid competitors charging?

How is data being charged in the US?

I double-checked before I posted - I called myself on my Lyca US SIM from another phone and my balance decremented by 2 cents.

Your analysis omits that when one calls someone on Lyca US the call ends in the US. One can call the Toggle US number and the call is forwarded at no charge to you in whichever Toggle country you are located.

The 2 cent rate is much cheaper than anyone else. Most of the prepaid competitors sell either bundles or unlimited plans. Lyca is the cheapest thing around for light use.

Good info, thanks.

I didn't omit this in my mind. :)

Yes, the only way I see this working is if they have the Toggle countries interconnected with VOIP, which is what I think they are doing. This is the advantage of the international Lyca network.

Incoming free -> VOIP -> free termination on their network in the toggle countries.

For an MVNO there is never free termination in the underlying radio access network.

Some of them are offering totally free calling on their underlying networks.

For example, Coop Mobile prepaid pay as you go in Switzerland on the Orange network has had completely free calling to Coop Mobile as well as to Orange numbers for many years.

Even with 0 credit you can call Coop Mobile and Orange numbers for free, and you don't need to recharge for 1 or 2 years until the number gets disconnected. With 0 credit you also receive incoming calls and SMS.

So, as long as you are calling only the Orange network which is the 2nd largest network in Switzerland, your calls are completely free with your 0 credit prepaid SIM.

Lyca Switzerland first also used the Orange network, but last year (?) they changed the network to Swisscom, so they must be getting an even better deal with Swisscom than what they had with Orange.

Anyway Toggle incoming is free on the underlying networks used by Lyca. I don't know how much it costs Lyca to terminate the calls on all of their underlying networks, but it must be very low for them to have a valid business model with their free inter-Lyca calls and with Toggle.

Does anybody have any idea what happens after the month has passed and I don't want the local number for 5 pounds. Will the local IMSI also stop working or just the local number, but I will still enjoy local rates and use the UK phone number?

The local number is tied to your IMSI.

If you don't keep your local number you can't use the local IMSI anymore.

So, when your number expires you go back to the roaming rates (= you still enjoy free incoming in the Toggle countries).

What you can do however, is order a new free number every 30 days if you want to keep the local rates without paying the 5£.

But IMO if you are traveling regularly to a Toggle country it's much more convenient (and cheap too) to get the local number for 5£ per year.

Figured that. Thanks for clarifying it.

Btw, did you actually try to receive a call on the USA number, and see if it was billed for?