Germany - GPRS Data

[babble]

I use a commercial "better than G729" codec for continuous 2-way voip over UMTS. G729 "closes" an up or down channel if no-one is talking on it. With G729, when a non-talker starts to talk on an overloaded network, there is sometimes a delay before he can be heard clearly again.

Out-going voip calls are easy. In-coming, always-registered, voip calls require a bit more work to set up correctly. Understandably, some networks make more effort to try and stop external voip callers from dialling in.

Over e+, I need 4MB for 10 mins speech. At 24c/MB, long, out-going conversations may be cheaper via a mobile. For longer voip conversations, a flatrate data tariff may be more suitable. If you have nothing better than G729, I would stay clear of e+ because they sometimes offer gprs speeds instead of UMTS. If you only have G711, don´t waste your time trying e+.

Inquisitor has previously linked to a page that reports UMTS voip is possible with a Tchibo sim:
Germany - Tchibo - Prepaid Wireless Internet Access

Tchibo uses the faster (than e+) O2 network. Tchibo has a cheap prepaid monthly data tariff. It´s something like 10 euros for 500MB/month.

[inquisitor]

Originally Posted by babble

Tchibo uses the faster (than e+) O2 network. Tchibo has a cheap prepaid monthly data tariff. It´s something like 10 euros for 500MB/month.

Yes, but Tchibo charges in 400KB-increments. So those 500MB could be consumed faster than expected. So if you chose Tchibo, the flatrate for € 20 could be the better choice.

[babble]

Yves,

Solomo does not yet allow incoming sip calls to their network. Calls cannot be forwarded using sip-URLs of the format: sip:01570*******@voip.solomo.de.

Originally Posted by inquisitor

Answering calls to your solomo number by SIP client is always free.

No, this is incorrect. If parallel sim and voip calls are enabled (via the solomo account webpage), calls picked up on the voip device will cost 5c/min.

[inquisitor]

I'm using parallel call since it's introduction (solomo notified me personally minutes after it was activated) and I've answered a dozen incoming calls through VoIP, which were definitely not charged at all. If you were charged for parallel call, that's an error.
If you check your call history ("EVN solomo VoIP") on the solomo website, you'll notice, that there's not even a column for the cost in the incoming-table (ankommende Gespräche).

[babble]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

I'm using parallel call since it's introduction (solomo notified me personally minutes after it was activated) and I've answered a dozen incoming calls through VoIP, which were definitely not charged at all. If you were charged for parallel call, that's an error.
If you check your call history ("EVN solomo VoIP") on the solomo website, you'll notice, that there's not even a column for the cost in the incoming-table (ankommende Gespräche).

Interesting. Thanks for the tip.

PS Yves might be confused by all the voip information that we have been giving him. You assumed that he will use a FritzBox. I assumed that he would tie his DIDs/voip accounts together using voxalot, pbxes, etc.

[Ties Brants]

Solomo pro is really great for receiving calls outside Europe!

With my Dutch Vodafone postpaid card I would euro 1,50 per minute to receive a call in Bolivia (for example).
With Solomo pro it would be, if I understand it correctly, euro 0,05 per minute to receive a call in Bolivia! (zone 1)
And for another euro 0,05 per minute I could then forward any number to my Solomo pro number, including a fixed Dutch number with my frizbox
which would make Solomo 15 times cheaper then Vodafone Netherlands.

[inquisitor]

Yes, you understood it correctly. You could set up a forwarding on your FritzBox, which would forward calls addressed to your Dutch DID number through the solomo VoIP account to your solomo SIM for € 0,05/min. Incoming calls in Bolivia would cost another € 0,05/min - so € 0,10/min in total. But those € 0,05/min in Bolivia are a rare exception (or maybe an error) - even in European countries incoming calls range between € 0,10-0,15/min and in other Latin American countries you'll pay way more (Brazil € 0,49/min, Colombia: € 1,99/min).

[Ties Brants]

True. Then again everything below 1,45 is still cheaper then Vodafone. Because World (which is pretty much everywhere except Europe and Canada/USA) costs euro 1,50 per minute.

and only zone 7 is more then 1,45. The USA is that one, that is too bad.
But Autralia and Japan are also in zone 1. Although you would have Vodafone passport there as well.
It is also pretty useful for some African countries.

If I would use this to forward my fixed line to my mobile in the Netherlands, it would be 15 cent/minute. Which would be cheaper then forwarding to a Dutch mobile in the Netherlands.....

It is not perfect, but still pretty nice

[inquisitor]

With poivy.com you can reach Dutch mobiles for € 0,10/min. Since poivy.com supports SIP, you can also use them so setup a forwarding on your FritzBox to your Dutch mobile number. poivY

[ygeffens]

Hi

Thank you all for your concern.
I think it's not worth all the hassle.
It's just for one week, and only 2 people I want to reach. So I think it's better that I call them on their fixed line at 9ct/min instead of them calling me at 23ct/min (what they are charged for calling a german mobile).
The global idea of cutting callcost is appealing, 1ct here, 1ct there...

The card is good enough for data.

Maybe I'll use the solomo card for voice, and the fonic card for data (and for the speed). That way I don't have to swap cards all the time.

As I said in my initial message, I like it simple, and I don't mind paying that extra cent.

Now I still have to figure out where exactly to buy the fonic card (closet to my destination) and we're all set.

Thank you all for you input !

Yves