Anyone been to Malta lately? Any idea about local calling card providers?

ATT tells me that despite the 800 # shown on their website, Malta has discontinued third party phone providers.

I believe I previously checked with MCI and they told me they also no longer have coverage there.

Noblecom has an 800 # listed, but the rate is around 50 cents per minute.

The cheapest outgoing mobile rate is GO.MT with 24 m-lira cents (~80 US cents) per minute. The cheapest rate over at Voda..MT is like 48 m-lira cents (~$1.60 US) per minute. I have one of each SIM and balances to burn, but .....

I googled and found PRIMATEL which SEEMS to offer cards in stores.

There were other sites that came up (onevoice & unitel, for instance), but their sites did not seem current or respond well.

There is always CBW where the rate is around 24 US cents. With my UM card it is 14 US cents PLUS 19-e-cents inbound for a total of ~ 37 US cents.

Any ideas? Maybe I'll have to wait until I am there.

TIA.

Stan

I think it would not be easy to find an international card (like nobelcom, att etc) to use from malta at reasonable rates. In your place I would use the 09 card (free incoming in malta!) in combination with CW

However, I think that those good rates to Iceland mobiles in CBW (and AFAIK even better in Enlinea) are in permanent danger just like the rates to FL mobiles ;)

Thanks for the thoughts.

I am at this point NOT REALLY looking at purchasing another SIM, but 09 would be good, as you write. The CBW rates are decent, but they could change.

ATT won't work at all -- so I was told. The Noblecom WILL, but the rates are high. There may be others. As MATHA531 wrote elsewhere, often the best calling cards are purchased IN COUNTRY. I was hoping someone had been there and could give a recommendation.

Thanks,

Stan