Free sim card offer for united mobile customers

[hkr]

Originally Posted by ronwi

From the Travelsim ordering page:

The use of the Travel Sim card is expected to be a fair balance between free incoming calls and chargeable outgoing calls. Excessive use of free incoming calls will constitute abuse.

Found at: Travel Sim Card - 100% Free Roaming .

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?

[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

[ronwi]

Localphone, which has very good rates to UK mobiles in general, has much higher rates to Jersey and Manx mobiles - 12.3 US cents to ordinary UK mobiles, 28 cents to Jersey mobiles, and 24 cents to Manx Telecom. I suppose it might be a trade secret, but I would be interested in knowing whether the incoming calls are a losing proposition such that Easyroam needs to limit the ratio of incoming calls as their website states they do.

The rates I referred to are here: Cheap Calls to the UK From Only 1.2¢ / 0.9p with Localphone

Originally Posted by 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.

[prion]

Originally Posted by ronwi

Localphone, which has very good rates to UK mobiles in general, has much higher rates to Jersey and Manx mobiles - 12.3 US cents to ordinary UK mobiles, 28 cents to Jersey mobiles, and 24 cents to Manx Telecom. I suppose it might be a trade secret, but I would be interested in knowing whether the incoming calls are a losing proposition such that Easyroam needs to limit the ratio of incoming calls as their website states they do.

The rates I referred to are here: Cheap Calls to the UK From Only 1.2¢ / 0.9p with Localphone

Localphone untill very recently had the same rate to most uk mobiles (including jersey and MAnx) approximately 0,12 euros/min.
They have very recently changed their tactic, and have also increased their rates to 0844 and 0871 numbers.....

[ronwi]

Actually, until yesterday they had the same rates.

Obviously they woke up and found out that they were not paying the same price for Jersey, Manx, etc. as for the standard +44 mobile numbers. Or, they always knew it, and realized that they were losing money by not charging more for those exchanges.

So far, the Betamax carriers are still very cheap to all +44 cell numbers (e.g., Poivy is 7 Euro cents per minute.)

Originally Posted by prion

Localphone untill very recently had the same rate to most uk mobiles (including jersey and MAnx) approximately 0,12 euros/min.
They have very recently changed their tactic.

[Bossman]

I saw the following on the easyroam rate page. I checked a number of countries that I am likely to visit, and the rate has increased. Not soo surprised though. It's a very dynamic market and one just to adjust to these changes and use the best sim card for the time and country.

Due to the new E.U call & sms price capping - some countries have been removed as free roaming

Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, Isle of man, Jersey, Guernsey, Romania Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland & U.A.E.

[f300]

Originally Posted by Bossman

Due to the new E.U call & sms price capping - some countries have been removed as free roaming

I think they're confusing "at most" with "at least"