New World Sim Company truphone.com

[teleroam]

I got the same email from Truphone.

Unless I've misunderstood, it appears Truphone have replaced the free "home country" for Local Anywhere with a paid membership that gives the lower rates for the US and UK (and maybe others later).

In other words, previously the US Local Anywhere had reasonable rates for the US when used domestically. Now, it changes from 10c to 70c a minute, unless a monthly fee of $15 is paid (after 30 days).

So the "home country" appears to have been totally withdrawn, at least in the rates tables. Really kills the main selling point, which was a number that you could use in your home country then add other numbers to when you went overseas. With a monthly fee required to get sensible per minute rates, it becomes uninteresting as a home country number, in most cases.

[rfranzq]

Originally Posted by teleroam

Unless I've misunderstood, it appears Truphone have replaced the free "home country" for Local Anywhere with a paid membership that gives the lower rates for the US and UK.In other words, previously the US Local Anywhere had reasonable rates for the US when used domestically. Now, it changes from 10c to 70c a minute, unless a monthly fee of $15 is paid (after 30 days).

So the "home country" appears to have been totally withdrawn, at least in the rates tables. Really kills the main selling point, which was a number that you could use in your home country then add other numbers to when you went overseas. With a monthly fee required to get sensible per minute rates, it becomes uninteresting as a home country number, in most cases.

No, you have misunderstood.

You get local rates for your home country as standard.

They have changed the US rates also. The US receiving a call rate has increased to 15cents [from 10cents, I believe]. The former send/receive US SMS rate was 12cents. Now receiving SMS is free. Does anyone know of ANY other prepaid SMS that has free receipt of SMS to a US number?

[rfranzq]

I decided to test if the rate is really/already 0 for incoming SMS. It is. However, It is not receiving SMS from two different AT&T MVNOs. It did receive SMS from T-Mobile and a T-Mobile MVNO. Also received from Google Voice.

[bartolo5]

Just pinching in on this forum to say I have been using Truphone Local Anywhere for a few months and their service so far has been flawless for me.

I've used the service in the USA (home country), France, Spain, Andorra, Italy and Greece and it worked like a charm everywhere, voice and data included.

Their voice local rates for USA and UK are fine, but their data rates blow chunks (change is coming apparently). They should be adding lots more countries soon so hopefully TLA is going to become a great solution for us international roamers.

[rfranzq]

Originally Posted by bartolo5

I've used the service in the USA (home country), France, Spain, Andorra, Italy and Greece..................... They should be adding lots more countries soon so hopefully TLA is going to become a great solution for us international roamers.

If you indeed live in Spain, they might be a 'home' country before the end of the year. I don't know what your typical usage might be but you might get a Spain SIM and ditch the US one?

[bartolo5]

Originally Posted by rfranzq

If you indeed live in Spain, they might be a 'home' country before the end of the year. I don't know what your typical usage might be but you might get a Spain SIM and ditch the US one?

It really depends on what sort of data pricing Truphone comes out with. I sort of need decently priced data, most of my phones are iPhone's or Androids these days, and data is very important. There are many cheap alternatives in the spanish prepaid SIM market for both voice and data so if Truphone doesn't come out with something remotely competitive to that it won't make much sense for me to use them.

[bartolo5]

Originally Posted by rfranzq

I decided to test if the rate is really/already 0 for incoming SMS. It is. However, It is not receiving SMS from two different AT&T MVNOs. It did receive SMS from T-Mobile and a T-Mobile MVNO. Also received from Google Voice.

It's pretty amazing Truphone Local Anywhere is offering free incoming SMS in the USA. I'm not aware of any other provider that does it? other than Google Voice of course. Their data rate of $500/GB is still on the pricier side....

[petkow]

Originally Posted by bartolo5

It's pretty amazing Truphone Local Anywhere is offering free incoming SMS in the USA. I'm not aware of any other provider that does it?

I'm not aware of any European provider that charges for incoming SMS when roaming anywhere in the world. Does this really still happen in the USA? It must be a rather rare occurrence.

(I suppose it may happen when having SMS 'forwarded' from a local area code number to the number that the SIM is identified with).

[bartolo5]

Originally Posted by petkow

(I suppose it may happen when having SMS 'forwarded' from a local area code number to the number that the SIM is identified with).

Yes, all cellphone carriers in the USA charge for incoming SMS. Bizarre but that's the way it is. They've been many complain through the years because unlike a phone call, you can't reject an incoming SMS and thus you get charged for something that you can't control, but most people have unlimited text messages plans anyway so it really doesn't matter.

[rfranzq]

Originally Posted by rfranzq

However, It is not receiving SMS from two different AT&T MVNOs. It did receive SMS from T-Mobile and a T-Mobile MVNO. Also received from Google Voice.

As of the week before Christmas, the problem seems to be resolved. I have received SMSes from AT&T and AT&T MVNOs.