Best practice international GSM setup

[gkeeper]

Originally Posted by MBK

Of course, if you use them to call out normally they are much too expensive (but very convenient).

But there is nothing cheaper and more convenient if you use them with a good callback and dual-sim system.



This is why I also give close friends and family the number of the other regional/local sim I have in my dual-sim setup.

Everyone else gets only the +372 number. The advantage is that I can give only 1 number where I am reachable worldwide. I don't need to give X different numbers to my contacts and I don't need to update them with new numbers every time I land in a new country.



This is why I went with the +372 SIM: it has both advantages you are referring to:

1. it works out cheaper than anything else if you take the time to learn how to use it properly (callback + dual SIM).

For example, Piranha (one of the other SIMs suggested here) is useless to me as it charges for incoming calls and outgoing calls are much more expensive than what I pay with my +372 SIM with callback + dual-Sim setup. Piranha is even less recommended in my case as its rates are only good regionally, so I would have to juggle with X number of SIMs.



2. and for those who don't want callback (+ eventually dual SIM) the +372 SIM can also be very simple, but then it will cost more.



Absolutely. I started with international SIMs thanks to this site and I am still learning new things every day thanks to you guys.

I use Piranha, Tru and Toggle (Toggle only in Toggle countries) and have compared prices with Onesimcard and Airbaliticard and the maths works out, that overall the Onesimcard and Airbaliticard are more expensive, not only for outgoing calls but especially for the caller. You mentioned calls to +372 numbers are $0.06, but only from certain VoIP providers, therefore all of my friends and family would have to sign up and download a sip client and no doubt pay a minimum top up when signing up, if they did not they would have to pay anything between £0.50 and £1.00 to call me on a +372 number.

I personally have about 50 very important contacts from family to friends and business, and i do not think many would sign up and pay maybe £10.00 for top up only to ring me. So overall my assessment is not so simple or cheap to use. And if the Estonian call rates fall in line with EU regulations, then there will be no free roaming, unless both companies are willing to subsidise incoming calls. I have been following the thread and this is only my observation and research, hopefully with valid points.

[HappyCamp]

Originally Posted by gkeeper

I use Piranha, Tru and Toggle (Toggle only in Toggle countries) and have compared prices with Onesimcard and Airbaliticard and the maths works out, that overall the Onesimcard and Airbaliticard are more expensive, not only for outgoing calls but especially for the caller.

I am going on a trip to Europe and will travel to Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, France, and Spain.

I too went with Piranha Mobile, TruPhone, and Toggle Mobile.

TruPhone states it will cost me $0.09 per minute to receive calls in all of my listed countries. And $0.32 per minute to make calls to other phones within the same country. I think it is $0.11 to send SMS messages. They provide a US phone number.

Piranha rates vary from country to country. Receiving calls cost $0.06 to $0.08 per minute. Making calls to other phones within the same country cost $0.17 to $0.23 per minute. Sending SMS always seems to be $0.15. They provide a US and UK (not Isle of Man) phone number.

Toggle Mobile in the "local number" countries of Denmark, Germany, France, and Spain. 3 pence (UK) per minute to land lines, 9 pence (UK) per minute to mobile, 9 pence (UK) per SMS. Calls/SMS are to phones within the same country. Free incoming calls in these countries. They provide a UK phone number and then a phone number in each one of the countries. I believe that the UK number is NOT an Isle of Man number.

[MBK]

Originally Posted by HappyCamp

Toggle Mobile in the "local number" countries of Denmark, Germany, France, and Spain. 3 pence (UK) per minute to land lines, 9 pence (UK) per minute to mobile, 9 pence (UK) per SMS. Calls/SMS are to phones within the same country. Free incoming calls in these countries. They provide a UK phone number and then a phone number in each one of the countries. I believe that the UK number is NOT an Isle of Man number.

Yes, the UK number is a regular lycamobile UK number charged at regular UK mobile rates (the same in the Toggle countries as Toggle uses the Lyca backend).

Furthermore, Toggle Mobile have announced that the US numbers (with free incoming!) are currently in testing and that they will be available soon (using the Lycamobile US platform).

Toggle Mobile Launching Enhanced SIM Card, United States Numbers Coming Soon | TruTower

[MBK]

Yes, very valid points.

Originally Posted by gkeeper

I use Piranha, Tru and Toggle (Toggle only in Toggle countries) and have compared prices with Onesimcard and Airbaliticard and the maths works out, that overall the Onesimcard and Airbaliticard are more expensive, not only for outgoing calls but especially for the caller. You mentioned calls to +372 numbers are $0.06, but only from certain VoIP providers, therefore all of my friends and family would have to sign up and download a sip client and no doubt pay a minimum top up when signing up, if they did not they would have to pay anything between £0.50 and £1.00 to call me on a +372 number.

Not necessarily a sip client, it also offers callback, local access numbers, and also works with any sip enabled phone.

Originally Posted by gkeeper

I personally have about 50 very important contacts from family to friends and business, and i do not think many would sign up and pay maybe £10.00 for top up only to ring me.

But I agree, a good option in your situation would be what we discussed earlier:

1. open an account with anveo (cheap numbers) or callcentric (free US number and easier to use than anveo).
2. forward the incoming calls on that number to your sip address (free)
3. forward your sip provider to your phone (cost €0.005 to UK mobile, France mobile, etc... Free to US mobile, €0.07 to Estonia mobile) (with the betamax clones the forwarding setting is only available in the windows application. Once set it works for all incoming calls).

This way you give your contacts only 1 number, and you can change that forwarding to any SIM you are using at the time.

Even if you move to another SIM, people can reach you on the same number.