Article about UM

[andy]

Originally Posted by snaimon

from the article...

"Although United Mobile has reduced charges, they're still expensive within the United States. "We have mobile termination charges, and we have to pay them because we have no local interconnect," Donhuysen said. However, United Mobile is actively working on entering the US market. "We're just readying our offer.""

Can someone explain? A landline call from Germany to a US mobile on my calling cards costs the same as a landline call from Germany to a US landline -- dirt cheap. So what "mobile termination charges" are they talking about? Why do they need a "local interconnect"?

Stan

He means the charges levied on visitors by the US network roamed upon.

That's why they need an arrangement with a US number instead

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by andy

He means the charges levied on visitors by the US network roamed upon.

That's why they need an arrangement with a US number instead

Thanks, Andy.

So ATT and TMO-USA (et al US GSM carriers) have roaming arrangements for US and possibly Canadian SIMs (not sure my old FIDO CA SIM would even register in US), BUT Voda, T-MO (UK, DE), O2, TIM, etc have NO roaming arrangements with US GSM carriers and the termination costs are exhorbitant.

Strange that telco calling card companies can provide cheap access TO US mobiles. Doesn't that involve high TERMINATION costs at the mobile end? I guess since in the US, the mobile customer has inbound minutes deducted from his/her balance or calling buckets, that is sufficient for the US mobile providers as a "termination fee."

OTOH, since the US GSM provider is providing network access to the ROAMER from abroad, it must exact its pound of flesh. So far, the pound of flesh has been quite exhorbitant for these international roamers..... if roaming is even allowed. My SIMYO (E+ DE) allows SMS but I believe they do not allow either outbound or inbound calling. At least it WAS that way in the past. And as I noted, my FIDO CA prepaid, when I had it, would not even register here.

Stan

[bylo]

Originally Posted by snaimon

not sure my old FIDO CA SIM would even register in US

It should, but you won't like paying $2.50/min coming or going

Fido's Prepaid U.S. roaming rates