united mobile sms issue with tmobile USA

[andy]

I doubt the networks are driving up their fees; in fact the regulators are occasionally cutting them. Maybe some other wholesale and retail providers are being rather cynical with their rates: 40 cents can't be justified when the wholesale termination fees are said to be of the order of 5 or 6p, and other retailers are around 15c to 25c, or even under 10.

As for T-mobile and UM - this seems to be the third time issues have surfaced between these companies - there was a time when T-com in Germany refused to allow its landlines to call such numbers

[MATHA531]

Originally Posted by andy

I doubt the networks are driving up their fees; in fact the regulators are occasionally cutting them. Maybe some other wholesale and retail providers are being rather cynical with their rates: 40 cents can't be justified when the wholesale termination fees are said to be of the order of 5 or 6p, and other retailers are around 15c to 25c, or even under 10.

As for T-mobile and UM - this seems to be the third time issues have surfaced between these companies - there was a time when T-com in Germany refused to allow its landlines to call such numbers

That's my feeling also...why would UM raise its termination rates so much which might discourage people from signing up. There's got to be more to it and I am a conspiracy person who sees conspiracies everywhere...somehow the roaming partners who see their income being sliced by people opting for the international cards have to have something to do with it!

[bbob]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

That's my feeling also...why would UM raise its termination rates so much which might discourage people from signing up. There's got to be more to it and I am a conspiracy person who sees conspiracies everywhere...somehow the roaming partners who see their income being sliced by people opting for the international cards have to have something to do with it!

I think you are right, the big telecom operators also have their own mobile companies and they make lots of money on roaming.
The EU did start law to lower these prices so their will be a maximum

First fase in aug 2007 is max 60 eurocents per call if you call outside your country and 29 eurcent if you are called in a different country. The next 2 years these rates are lowered to 52 en 23 cents.

Lots of operators in spain, italie al the tourist countries did complain because these operators are loosing lots of money on this.

Now we take the roaming free card which cost nothing to receive a call in many countries. Sure the big guys are not happy about these companies as this is costing them millions in roaming charges. As said most of them are also formal monopolie telecom operators having a large share in the fixed phone line market and they are using this to block calls or increase pricing to the roaming free cards. This explaines the sometimes big differencen rates to some of these numbers.

@snaimon as for the rates, yes i still get good rates to UM from the Netherlands, but I know that this will not last long as some companies are lazy. For example the company I am using has not even sent me a bill for the last 5 month's.

I do get good rates to call my +44-7624 number. Using voip > betamax voicetrading the call to this mobile only cost me 10 eurcents per minute (without vat) I am using my own callback system so the callback only cost me 10 eurcents. This system and rates can be used by anyone (voicetrading only for companies inside the eu or for anyone living outside the EU)

I am using my UM card less and less because some of my customers complaid about not being able to call the number. So I do not belive the UM is increasing there rates as it is in their interest to get more customers and problems like increasing rates, blocks will not give them more customers.

[andy]

Originally Posted by bbob

Now we take the roaming free card which cost nothing to receive a call in many countries. Sure the big guys are not happy about these companies as this is costing them millions in roaming charges. As said most of them are also formal monopolie telecom operators having a large share in the fixed phone line market and they are using this to block calls or increase pricing to the roaming free cards. This explaines the sometimes big differencen rates to some of these numbers.

United Mobile is a virtual operator on FL1, which is part of Telekom Austria, and a partner of Vodafone. CallKey depends on Manx Telecom, part of O2/Telefonica. 09 Mobile is rumoured to use Swisscom roaming agreements. Sunsim is an mvno on e-plus, owned by KPN. I don't know which network Travelsim lives on, but if it is EMT, this is owned by TeliaSonera

Whilst some practices have been less than competitive, I don't think the mechanisms are as you describe. The former monopolies are not in a cartel to drive out the free roaming cards, or shove tariffs upwards to reach them.

Perhaps T-mobile should take the view that if it can't beat them, join them. It's overdue that they and Orange make some moves on cheaper roaming.

And, off-topic, I don't understand why you have made your callback system so complicated. No hardware is needed at all, and lower tariffs exist on a couple of other Betamax brands.

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by andy

And, off-topic, I don't understand why you have made your callback system so complicated. No hardware is needed at all, and lower tariffs exist on a couple of other Betamax brands.

Andy,

Confessing my own stupidity.....

Who is "you" and "your callback system"? UM? T-Mo? bbob? Someone or something else?

What other "Batamax" brands?

[andy]

Originally Posted by snaimon

Andy,

Confessing my own stupidity.....

Who is "you" and "your callback system"? UM? T-Mo? bbob? Someone or something else?

What other "Batamax" brands?

bbob has posted a number of times here and elsewhere about a callback platform set up on a PC at home

Voipcheap 8c, JustVoip 5c,

[snaimon]

I am very frustrated. Spent ~ 1 hour on phone with 4 T-Mobile USA reps. I was complaining that I could not RECEIVE messages from my +423 phone. I was @ first told that +423 is now not on the blocked list. 3 different reps told me that.

The MDA expert however said that was incorrect. Get this.... both outbound and inbound are blocked.

This is perhaps the reason why SMSbug will not deliver messages to my +423 phone.

And, to top it all off, my UM balance is now so fouled up. Since the SMS is blocked, the system keeps trying to RESEND the SMS @ 39 e-cents per attempt. I must have 20 messages sent today already. Their system then detects that this resend is in error and credits the account. I sent 1 SMS and the balance fell from 62 Euros to 45 Euros. I have both called and written to UM customer care. Not sure it will ever be straight.

So much for sending SMS to my sons and brother on T-Mobile.

I wonder if anyone in USA is using ATT network and if they are having any better luck? At one time, probably before the T-Mo blockage started, I had a failed SMS. UM Customer Care in their infinite wisdom told me to be sure I was registered on T-Mobile rather than Cingular.

Stan