Piranha Mobile Sim Card

[fsotirop]

Originally Posted by dg7feq

yes, the pricing looks very competitive, also the fact that they dont charge extra for incoming calls on the US number.

and very easy+cheap access to their telephone prefixes, there are NOT high termination rate numbers as all other competitors.

true UK & US numbers...

you can even attach local landline number for approximately 50 countries.

[davidtheprof]

just got the same email myself,
interesting strategy, to focus on the Caribbean, and a few other odd countries, makes Piranha a better choice than Lime for the region.

Hope some European countries will be on the next list!

[andy]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

and very easy+cheap access to their telephone prefixes, there are NOT high termination rate numbers as all other competitors.

true UK & US numbers...

you can even attach local landline number for approximately 50 countries.

I'm not sure what you mean by true UK numbers, or whether it's that relevant for people outside the UK, many of whom don't need to wonder whether it comes from a UK network's bundle of minutes.

I read an article* on their website about the cost of calling various other mobile prefixes, and yet from various providers the cost of calling theirs is the same as the others they mentioned, and sometimes higher than main network prefixes. It's slightly (about a penny a minute) more from a BT landline than an IoM or O2 or the other main networks

* Mind you, that doesn't seem to be accessible at the moment.

[fsotirop]

their +44 number is a true UK prefix .. not IOM or Jersey... so, a lot cheaper +easier access (not blocked prefixes)

[andy]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

their +44 number is a true UK prefix .. not IOM or Jersey... so, a lot cheaper +easier access (not blocked prefixes)

It depends on which provider you use to call the number.

Calling directly from my landline, most Isle of Man numbers would be exactly the same price as calling O2, and calling Cloud9 numbers exactly the same price as calling Three, and all main networks are currently 11.3 pence a minute.

The wholesale termination rate for calling ordinary UK mobiles is now 1.70 pence a minute, and regular retail price can be found for from about 2 pence (one promotional offer has 0.1p), though most UK-based retail cheap calls providers have rates from 4 to 10 pence a minute.

So even if some of these prefixes still have higher rates there is margin to connect them from most providers. But I'm not going to do a load of tests of 0844 numbers from the landline

Some non-UK wholesalers or retailers probably just charge more anyway for catch-all exclusions.

But that doesn't happen everywhere, with one I've looked at having retail rates at (all plus VAT) 4p for main network prefixes, then it charges Piranha at 8.2p with Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Swiftnet Truphone and most others, Lyca 9.9p, Cloud9 8.2p or 14.9p.

And I'm not convinced that there are blocks on that many of these. One
particular network seems to be unreachable from one group of brands, but that's all I've heard of so far.

[fsotirop]

the problem is when calling +447 numbers from outside the UK..

calling from some betamax clones to piranha numbers costs just 2.1p/minute...
almost all IOM & Jersy prefixes are blocked from betamax and many other voip providers..

piranha offers true UK numbers, so there will always be cheap+easy access to their numbers

[dg7feq]

Originally Posted by andy

It depends on which provider you use to call the number.

Yes, the problem is when calling from abroad either the calls to UK mobiles are expensive in general -- or the cheap providers do not terminate to IoM numbers at all. In so far a "real" UK mobile number makes it possible to use the cheapo providers (e.g. from germany stable for 3-4 euro ct/min from our company landline).

Chris

[andy]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

calling from some betamax clones to piranha numbers costs just 2.1p...
almost all IOM & Jersy prefixes are blocked from betamax..

Betamax/Dellmont/Finarea brands have always charged the same for IoM and Jersey and various others as for UK mobiles.

The second statement is inaccurate, as some other people pointed out in the thread you started about this in March or so.

And I'm saying it again, having tried four IoM numbers, two Jersey, Swiftnet (which uses a Manx ID but its own numbers), Truphone and another (callthrough) number today for 0.1 pence a minute. Only Cloud9 numbers seem to be a problem.

[Stu]

My problem with IOM/Jersey numbers it that I often loan my SIMs to family and friends and quote a fee based on what I am going to be charged with 0 percent markup. These providers then charge me something other than what they have scheduled and I wind up eating the cost.

My travelling partners are often British and giving them a true UK number to reach me on (or more likely for their friends to reach them on via me) is helpful.

Since Pirahna doesn't surcharge for forwarding to the US number over the UK one, I am obviously diverting to the US one.

[Bossman]

Can Pirahna maintain these rates on the long run though? Nobody knows for sure. For now, their rates are quite good!