Anyone notice that the rates on freeglobalsim.com drastically changed? I mean calls from mexico to the us were listed as .27c a minute, now they are $1.80 USD. I checked a couple other rates and they drastically changed as well. Anyone have any ideas?

I spoke to the guy at globalsim, he is very helpful. He explained that as of yesterday there are some sort of new global termination rates that all carrier's are implementing. Anyone know what the deal is with this and how it will affect this sim and others?

PERSONALLY, I don't believe the bit about the termination fee change. Neither teltarif nor telfon-treff.de carried any news of it today or in the past few days.

Stan

I noticed that this morning too. I thought it was just an error. Looks like they increased quite a number of the rates. Even the UK to US rate went up. A number of countries that were initially listed under "free incoming" such as Jamaica, Mexico, BVI, etc. are no more free. They now have very high rates for incoming. Actually the free incoming link is not working right now. I guess they are trying to update it.

I guess they are trying to make up fo the fact that they are not charging for the sim itself. :wacko:

They now have the following notice above the rate calculator:

"Pleae note a new MTC call termination surcharge now applies to all call rates.
This has been enforced by network carriers and is included in all call rates displayed"

Well, the mexico and peru thing blows this card for me. Anyone know what MTC termination thing is if it will affect other cards? Anyone have a storytelecom card. Their rates seem to be what freeglobalsim was before and the SMS charges are better. Could MTC mean manx telecom?

I know...

Seems like most of the S. American and carribean countries/islands that were initially free incoming and very good out going rates, are no longer free, and with very high outgoing rates.

Acccording to their calculator http://www.freeglobalsim.com/callRates.asp they roam in our favourite Tokelau as well as on Iridium and all kinds and flaours of Inmarsat :). And their rates for Irium roaming are excellent - free incoming calls, and e.g. calls to Poland 4 cents Warsaw landlines, 5 cents landlines elsewhere, 30 cents mobiles. And UK 800's from Iridium are FREE :lol: .

OTOH there's no sat roaming on Thuraya which is available e.g. in Geosim....

Since only INMARSAT Mini M uses a SIM card it's a little hard to see this SIM actually having the ability to originate a call from INMARSAT. I think they don't know their own product.

What I meant was I have seen no reports about a GENERAL or GLOBAL increase in termination costs and therefore would NOT expect increases @ UM, for instance.

Agree we need to figure out what MTC termination fees actually mean.

Stan

Here is their new call rates. It lists the incoming rate for each country. Right below the charged inbound countries, it also mentioned that call rates are charged per minute. I believe I read otherwise in the other thread.

http://www.freeglobalsim.com/freeInbound.asp

I suggested "MTC" had something to do with the fact that in the original thread people labeled it as a Manx sim along with the Story Telecom sim also. Are these two sims some sort of rebrand? It seems like the card will still work for alot of people however it wont work for me without reasonable prices in central and south america. Well, I guess I have to find another card which has free incoming in Mexico like 09, but their prices are not reasonable at all for outgoing, its more expensive than my normal Cingular sim. I am hoping that GeoSIM gets Telcel in Mexico and the Colombia roaming setup as this card would then cover all my needs. Anyone know if Story plans to raise their rates as well?

money69, telestial passport card has free incoming in Mexico and Peru. It does have high starup cost though. The sim alone is $69. Not surprising there since it's a telestial product.

http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?...CT_ID=MSIM-PP01