Free sim card offer for united mobile customers

[ronwi]

Actually, it would be interesting to know the economics of the incoming calls.

While Travlsim are technically correct when they say they give you a UK mobile number, it is from a special range - 07924. That range has a much higher charge paid to the cell carrier by whoever is delivering the call. Thus, Voipjet (a wholesale VOIP carrier) charges 27 US cents a minute to Travelsim numbers, while only charging 11 cents per minute to Vodafone UK mobile numbers (VoipJet VOIP termination :: IAX (Asterisk) protocol :: Pricing).

Most carriers charge a blended rate (e.g. Betamax carriers), and don't differentiate between the different UK mobile carriers. However, the Voipjet pricelist indicates that the Travelsim carrier is receiving more than the average fee from inbound carriers, regardless of what the customer initiating the call is actually charged.

So, why the limit on inbound calls? Does the fee paid to the Jersey mobile phone operator by the carrier carrying the inbound call not cover the cost of the forwarded call?

Originally Posted by hkr

Well,

I understand the reason behind it, however, I very seldom initiate calls (even at home, even more so when roaming), but I do receive calls as people call me from time to time. OK, I can call chargeable numbers just to make my credit go lower but what percentage?

[andy]

Originally Posted by ronwi

Actually, it would be interesting to know the economics of the incoming calls.

While Travlsim are technically correct when they say they give you a UK mobile number, it is from a special range - 07924. That range has a much higher charge paid to the cell carrier by whoever is delivering the call. Thus, Voipjet (a wholesale VOIP carrier) charges 27 US cents a minute to Travelsim numbers, while only charging 11 cents per minute to Vodafone UK mobile numbers (VoipJet VOIP termination :: IAX (Asterisk) protocol :: Pricing).

Most carriers charge a blended rate (e.g. Betamax carriers), and don't differentiate between the different UK mobile carriers. However, the Voipjet pricelist indicates that the Travelsim carrier is receiving more than the average fee from inbound carriers, regardless of what the customer initiating the call is actually charged.

So, why the limit on inbound calls? Does the fee paid to the Jersey mobile phone operator by the carrier carrying the inbound call not cover the cost of the forwarded call?

The Voipjet pricelist indicates two-thirds of not much at all

I don't think you can make broad assumptions based on the tariffs of just one carrier, especially when they are incompetent enough to also list prices for UK numbers that simply do not even exist, or have revenue-share and premium rate landlines of 5 to 150 pence listed at 1.58 cents

If companies did indeed connect calls at some of the daft tariffs they claim, it might be possible to call anywhere in the world for a couple of cents by judicious use of callthrough providers on mis-tariffs

And I appreciate that geography of the British Isles may not be a strong point at that distance, but you'll find if you check that 07924 is the Isle of Man, not Jersey. Though they are closer together in miles, in proportion to the whole area, that's like me suggesting that Baltimore is on the Gulf of Mexico, or Seattle in California

[ronwi]

OK, I'm wrong about the Jersey part (I believe some of the other international SIM carriers were based there, and it's not like Travelsim exactly highlights there location on their website), but my point was that the number is out of the typical range of UK cell numbers. In fact, given that the Isle of Man is not in the EU or the UK, the carriers there are presumably subject to different regulations (e.g., the roaming rules likely do not apply.) External Relations - Isle of Man Government -

I have used Voipjet for years, and they do indeed bill calls at the rates stated. Because they are wholesalers, their rate charts are more detailed - you will note that they charge different amounts for various different mobile carriers in different countries, based on the different charges paid by the carrier. We know that the charges do differ, and as a primarily wholesale carrier they have made a choice not to offer blended rates. As a result of the rates not being blended, their rates to most UK mobiles, for example, are unusually low. I suppose because I have done business with them for years I am assuming that the high rate for the Isle of Man number is based on some reality based to what they pay, and not whim.

I suppose the thing to do would be to look at the rates of another carrier that does not blend rates, but I haven't found one in my quick search.

Originally Posted by andy

The Voipjet pricelist indicates two-thirds of not much at all

I don't think you can make broad assumptions based on the tariffs of just one carrier, especially when they are incompetent enough to also list prices for UK numbers that simply do not even exist, or have revenue-share and premium rate landlines of 5 to 150 pence listed at 1.58 cents

If companies did indeed connect calls at some of the daft tariffs they claim, it might be possible to call anywhere in the world for a couple of cents by judicious use of callthrough providers on mis-tariffs

And I appreciate that geography of the British Isles may not be a strong point at that distance, but you'll find if you check that 07924 is the Isle of Man, not Jersey. Though they are closer together in miles, in proportion to the whole area, that's like me suggesting that Baltimore is on the Gulf of Mexico, or Seattle in California

[jhh112]

Does anyone know whether the call rates for the new Easyroam dual-number (US + UK) SIM will be the same as for their existing UK SIM? Higher? Will they extend their offer to exchange a SIM from the (defunct) United Mobile for one of these new dual number SIMs?

[easyroam-]

The dual UK & USA sim card will have different call & sms rates, plus more free roaming countries. See my profile photo with the new dual sim card.

Anyone else got there dual sim card

[Bossman]

Are you going to continue to carry and maintain both the UK and the dual (UK/US) sim cards, also what are your plans for current customers like myself, that may want to migrate to the dual sim card?

Originally Posted by easyroam-

The dual UK & USA sim card will have different call & sms rates, plus more free roaming countries. See my profile photo with the new dual sim card.

Anyone else got there dual sim card

[easyroam-]

U.A.E was removed due to very heavy abuse - E.U call & sms rates have been reduced.

Getting back to the main questions?

All sim cards will stay operational
There are not plans to stop any of the single numbered sim cards.

All new 07924 sim cards will have the new dual numbered technology allowing them to be updated over the air. This will allow us to switch on the USA number and any new numbers that are planed.

As for exchanging old U-M sim cards for the new dual sim. We have no plans at this time to offer the dual sim.
This may change at a later date.

[ronwi]

Note that in the current version of the prior post, there is no explanation of the "very heavy abuse" regarding the U.A.E. However, if anyone is interested in what constitutes "very heavy abuse" in the eyes of Easyroam, the original post (before it was modified by the poster) stated:

U.A.E was removed due to very heavy abuse. _All_ inbound call traffic, with no outbound.

(I have a copy of the original post because I received it by email as a subscriber to the thread.)

Originally Posted by easyroam-

U.A.E was removed due to very heavy abuse - E.U call & sms rates have been reduced.

[easyroam-]

Ronwi.
I edit most of my new posts all the time.

U.A.E was removed due to very heavy abuse and yes it was due to all inbound call traffic, with no or very little outbound usage. We are not talking about 30 minutes a day, more like 6 hours+ a day.

Any of our customers who abuse the system now get blocked and disconnected. Genuine customers are not affected.

This is why most operators have started charging a daily fee or connection charge and removing countries as free roaming.

[ronwi]

Easyroam-

And, I edit mine. I wasn't suggesting there was anything wrong in editing your post.

I think it is very good that you don't hide the ball on your signup/order page. You state very clearly that not keeping the proper ratio of incoming/outgoing calls is required, and that not doing so is considered abuse.

However, I wanted to highlight that point, and thought that the fact that you were required to start charging for incoming UAE calls would be interesting to those on this board. I think that that a majority of people, even those on this board, are not aware that a large percentage of incoming calls can be considered abuse. For example, I have read discussions of callback services on this site, and don't recall any discussion that callback was frowned upon by the service provider.

Until I saw the caveat on your site, I had always assumed that the cost of delivering the incoming calls to the customer was covered by the amount paid to the mobile service provider by the carrier that delivered the incoming call. I suspect that most on this site had the same assumption.

I assume that it is competitive forces that cause you to have the free incoming calls. A more transparent pricing model would be to charge a reasonable fee for the incoming calls, which might then allow you to lower the price of the outgoing calls, which presumably are now subsidizing the free incoming calls.

Originally Posted by easyroam-

Ronwi.
I edit most of my new posts all the time.

U.A.E was removed due to very heavy abuse and yes it was due to all inbound call traffic, with no or very little outbound usage. We are not talking about 30 minutes a day, more like 6 hours+ a day.

Any of our customers who abuse the system now get blocked and disconnected. Genuine customers are not affected.

This is why most operators have started charging a daily fee or connection charge and removing countries as free roaming.