Maxroam (aka Roam4Free V2)

[andy]

That comment has only appeared in the past hour and a half.

[petkow]

Just shows how pro these chaps really are!

They probably put the comment in after reading your comments on one of the blogs. In any case, dead confusing even with the comment as the rates still have a € next to them!

[Grampa]

There's no doubt that Maxroam rushed to get this product out, and the website has had one problem after another. This is at least the third rate sheet they have posted. However, this does appear to be an honest mistake -- the rates shown are indeed the same as they were, only expressed in dollars. I should have seen that when I noted that the rates were about one-third higher than they had been.

Comparing Maxroam to UM (which also rushed to get the UM+ rate out before it was ready), it looks like the Europe rates are pretty comparable. Maxroam might be a penny or two higher, but there is no setup charge. Maxroam has a substantial price advantage when roaming in some parts of the world (e.g., China, Russia, Central America), but a disadvantage when roaming in others (e.g., the Middle East). Maxroam's rates to mobile phones are the same as its rates to landlines, which is nice. Maxroam does charge for incoming calls, but it provides local telephone numbers for some countries. I realize that I could set up my own DID, but I prefer not to do that.

I was pretty upset when I thought they had changed their rates after only three days. With that issue resolved, I think Maxroam is a pretty decent value.

[bbob]

Originally Posted by Grampa

Maxroam's rates to mobile phones are the same as its rates to landlines, which is nice. Maxroam does charge for incoming calls, but it provides local telephone numbers for some countries. I realize that I could set up my own DID, but I prefer not to do that.

mobile and landlines same rate. In countries like USA this is normal but most ofther contries do have different rates. It does not make sense to offer same rates as it does mean that you are paying to much for calls to landlines as calls to mobiles are at least 9 eurocents per minute more expensive (on average in europe)

The DID number is nice but I still don't know how the phone can be reached directly. Are they using a +44 number, iceland or what ?

[ygeffens]

Originally Posted by bbob

mobile and landlines same rate. In countries like USA this is normal but most ofther contries do have different rates. It does not make sense to offer same rates as it does mean that you are paying to much for calls to landlines as calls to mobiles are at least 9 eurocents per minute more expensive (on average in europe)

I think it is (for the moment) a way to make it easy for them. I think there was not time enough to create a more complex pricing structure.

When I read this http://www.goebel.net/technews/labels/Maxroam.html
I'm convinced they have a lot of work to do, and that they just wanted to establish a place in this difficult market in time.

Originally Posted by bbob

The DID number is nice but I still don't know how the phone can be reached directly. Are they using a +44 number, iceland or what ?

AFAIK a phonenumber (allocated in the GSM-numbering space, whatever country - it doens't matter) for a SIM-card, is more or less the same like an internet domainname for a website. They both are "aliases" for numbers. The phonenumber for the Simcard#, the domainname for the IP-address.

So whay they do is simply pointing different DID's directly to the SIM-card, and not a phonenumber.

This doesn't answer these questions:

• To what number can I sent an SMS ?
• What's the CLIP when I make a call from a card that has more than one number assigned to it?

But I'm sure these things will be answered in the FAQ the coming days.

BTW: just minutes ago (12.10 PM) they corrected the rate-table again. Now with a different pricing for Mobiles and fixed lines.

[ygeffens]

Originally Posted by Grampa

There's no doubt that Maxroam rushed to get this product out, and the website has had one problem after another. This is at least the third rate sheet they have posted. However, this does appear to be an honest mistake -- the rates shown are indeed the same as they were, only expressed in dollars. I should have seen that when I noted that the rates were about one-third higher than they had been.

I don't mind such mistakes. If the service (call quality, features, support) is good, then I consider this an 'oops'-moment.

Originally Posted by Grampa

Maxroam's rates to mobile phones are the same as its rates to landlines, which is nice. Maxroam does charge for incoming calls, but it provides local telephone numbers for some countries. I realize that I could set up my own DID, but I prefer not to do that.

Setting up your own system with PBXes, and my own DIDs and Routes is nice, but in the end, these are all extra hops which have an impact on call-quality, and there are too much possible points of failure. With an integrated system like MAXroam, I think that the chance of running into problems is much smaller.

[andy]

I think it will be more popular in America, where people are used to the idea that calling mobiles is the same cost as landlines. Other places, where people have contract mobiles with inclusive minutes, it doesn't matter as much that they call a mobile.

The advantage of Maxroam and its similar predecessors is having the possibility to add landlines in the places you visit, if you'll expect loads of incoming calls from there. Frequent or long stay visitors or groups will get a local SIM though, so that will be the dilemma, how much use is expected.

But without getting too complicated and subscribing to loads of DIDs, pbxes etc, there are possibilities like Sipbroker/Voxalot, which means people can set up one VoIP call forward to themselves, then others can reach them via local landlines in 25 countries, eg in France 01(Paris)p*010xxxxxx like a simple callthrough (similar in effect to CBW pin2dest), and costing me a few cents a minute.

That's why I think that Maxroam isn't yet what it suggests, a disruptive approach that has broken through to achieving local calls at local rate; it's still roaming at roaming rates.

This week a product has launched in the UK with inclusive minutes packages for international calls. If that becomes popular and spreads, then perhaps ringing visitors roaming in one's own country or friends on a foreign SIM on their holidays won't be a big deal. And the minutes are free! Don't throw away the Liechtenstein SIM.

[ygeffens]

Originally Posted by andy

I think it will be more popular in America, where people are used to the idea that calling mobiles is the same cost as landlines. Other places, where people have contract mobiles with inclusive minutes, it doesn't matter as much that they call a mobile.

So it was a good idea to launch it there. I bet 2 out 3 cards were sold to the USA. Correct me if I'm wrong Sean. But that's not wrong, is it? We (I speak for myself, and maybe for the majority of the people here) live in Europe, and travel most of the time within Europe. So, we look at these products from a EU-view.

Originally Posted by andy

But without getting too complicated and subscribing to loads of DIDs, pbxes etc, there are possibilities like Sipbroker/Voxalot, which means people can set up one VoIP call forward to themselves, then others can reach them via local landlines in 25 countries, eg in France 01(Paris)p*010xxxxxx like a simple callthrough (similar in effect to CBW pin2dest), and costing me a few cents a minute.

That way your call travels (at least) 2 times over the internet. With Murphy looking around the corner all the time, I prefer a more reliable sollution. I agree when this is all for pleasure/private use. The world will not fall apart when you can't be reached by the people that stayed at home when you're on a holliday.

Originally Posted by andy

That's why I think that Maxroam isn't yet what it suggests, a disruptive approach that has broken through to achieving local calls at local rate; it's still roaming at roaming rates.

_yet_, indeed, you might be right there, but I always was told to learn to walk, then to run. So, what MAXroam is doing is not that stupid.
I understand that you are maybe disappointed because they are not already delivering what you hoped they would be. I also was hoping for eg. Data, but we'll have to wait another 6 months for that (see the link I posted to Markus Göbel's blog, a few messages up).

Originally Posted by andy

This week a product has launched in the UK with inclusive minutes packages for international calls. If that becomes popular and spreads, then perhaps ringing visitors roaming in one's own country or friends on a foreign SIM on their holidays won't be a big deal. And the minutes are free! Don't throw away the Liechtenstein SIM.

THAT is a problem for MAXroam and similar services. There big operators just have to think of something and it's almost a working product, simply because they have a platform that is capable of doing almost anything, they just have to be motivated by someone (eg. MAXroam), and they launche that new product. So, maybe al the 'small' operators are paving the way for the big ones?
I indeed will not throw away my UM-card, but probable that country will not be included in many bundles, they probably start with all EU-countries, and Liechtenstein isn't one of them.

[petkow]

Congrats on winning the iPhone ygeffens!

[ygeffens]

Originally Posted by petkow

Congrats on winning the iPhone ygeffens!

Thanks

1. I will NOT upgrade my phone
2. I WILL let you know what cards that are accepted by this phone.