United-Mobile Update

[GadgetKen]

Edit: Actually should have added 14 cents PLUS T-Mobile airtime (ten cents per minute plus ten cent connect charge). Still a good deal.

[Bossman]

Tuyo has always listed FL at $0.14. When I first saw that I'm like wow! they have not heard the news yet. I just checked now, and it's still the same rate. I doubt if anyone on their network calls FL. Their rates are quite competitive with the best calling cards out there. And, in some cases, FL for example, their rates are a whole lot cheaper.

TúYo.com - International Rates

Originally Posted by GadgetKen

Another thought for using the T-Mobile USA network is to use a Tuyo (reseller of T-Mobile airtime by an international long distance company called IDT) prepaid sim card that has cheap international rates (including to 423 Leichtenstein).

[hrgajek]

Hello,

on more addendum to UM+

If the account is 19 Cent or lower and the Phone is logged on to a network, an incoming call doesn't work, an announcement tells you, that the subscriber cannot be reached at the moment.

This is logical, due to the fact, that there are no 19 cent so setup the call.

If you switch off your UM+ SIM (with less than 19 Cents) the call goes to the Mailbox free of charge.

To retrieve the message call your UM+ SIM Card from another phone, interrupt the announcement with # PIN #

UM+ Mailbox speaks German out of the box (as it is a German product of Dr. Materna who is also running the virtual vistream network) but can be switched to english using the "Einstellungen" (=Setup) Menu.

[Bossman]

So, if I understanding this correctly, there is now a one time connection charge of $0.19 euro for any connected calls. That is, for both incoming free and non-incoming free countries. It must be hidden somewhere on the website as I have not seen it there yet.

EDIT: I see it now--- * Call set up rate for all calls (one time) EUR 0.19

[fedeprovenza]

the only good news from um

[snaimon]

teltarif.de News: Tarifwechsel bei United Mobile: 19 Cent Aufschlag für jeden Anruf

Of course they are a little late. Article does offer several REASONS for the increases in rates (one-time charge for all incoming).

NOTE: if I am reading correctly, the article says T-MO USA (and others) blocks calls to 432 numbers. Did you try calling via TUYO to see what happens. Published info often varies from ACTUAL INFO.

Stan

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by snaimon

teltarif.de News: Tarifwechsel bei United Mobile: 19*Cent Aufschlag für jeden Anruf

Of course they are a little late. Article does offer several REASONS for the increases in rates (one-time charge for all incoming).

Interesting, but I need a translation... I can't understand everything in "germanGOOGLE"

NOTE: if I am reading correctly, the article says T-MO USA (and others) blocks calls to 432 numbers. Did you try calling via TUYO to see what happens. Published info often varies from ACTUAL INFO.

Yes, +423 has a lot of troubles... please follow this thread -> http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/inte...it-thread.html

[snaimon]

Google translations are unintelligible.

Try this for a partial:

Rate change at UM: 19 cents setup fee on every call.

Incoming fees applied for a short time even if the phone was off
...
Problems in transitioning rates
...
UM423: Balance inquiry remains free
...
Possible background for price increases

The reason for the price hike could come from among others UM's extremely low rates for roaming. Incoming calls were free even though the rates offered (for outbound-inbound mix) was only marginally more than the outbound-inbound mix calculation. Connections to Jersey cards were available at prices similar to landlines. The best call-by-call operator is asking 1 cent rates to British landlines and 10 cents to British mobiles. The rate UM pays for that internconnect is unknown. If a call is routed to the voicemail, which is being hosted by Materna in Dortmund, Germany, additional costs are incurred by UM. UM must factor these into its own cost structure. UM customers who only received calls or used external callbacks were hardly profitable for UM.

Calls to FL at the high premium rate paid to Telcom FL make the calculation much easier. Until now the income was high enough to cover a call to China at no extra charge; since Jan 1 that rate increased to 69 cents per minute and require the 19 cent sutup fee.

Afficionados were struck to learn that UM+ customers in EU Belgium were no longer in the "free" incoming zone. It is entirely possible that providers are using targeted price increases to put the brakes on UM's attractive roaming tarifs. UM423 customers are not being charged a per minute fee in Belgium, although they must pay the 19 cent setup fee.

UM roaming conditions markedly worsen
.....
One difficulty is that UM423 SIMs are only registering on E-plus....
There were times with UM423 cards would register on all networks in Germany. We guess that German operators would like to keep the unwelcome competition from UM off their backs and have either terminated their roaming agreements or they find UM roaming rates they have to pay too high [and refuse to allow SIMs to register].

[inquisitor]

Btw hrgajek is the author of the linked teltarif-article, which is also based on the information on this board.

[andy]

Originally Posted by snaimon

[his precis of quoted link]

The reason for the price hike could come from among others UM's extremely low rates for roaming. Incoming calls were free even though the rates offered (for outbound-inbound mix) was only marginally more than the outbound-inbound mix calculation. Connections to Jersey cards were available at prices similar to landlines. The best call-by-call operator is asking 1 cent rates to British landlines and 10 cents to British mobiles. The rate UM pays for that internconnect is unknown. ... UM customers who only received calls or used external callbacks were hardly profitable for UM.

I'd be interested to hear about calling a Jersey mobile at the same price as a landline. From a BT landline in UK the rate is ~29 pence a minute, and other providers worldwide have higher rates to this range than other +447, which doesn't quite support the idea of UM's difficulties arising solely from a share of low incoming rates. Perhaps one or two questions should be addressed to the call-by-call operator ...