Best practice international GSM setup

[MBK]

Originally Posted by gkeeper

Using +372 numbers seems to be way too complicated,expensive and time consuming, especially for something that may or may not work.

Complicated? : for technophobes perhaps. They are free to juggle with X number of SIMs and pay more for worldwide coverage if they prefer.

Expensive? No, it is cheaper if used properly.

Time consuming? Not at all.

+372 has been working rock stable for 2 years here (More stable than EKIT). This is the top quality of mobile phone roaming, used every day, day in day out (onesimcard is my primary phone number. Even my home phone is showing my +372 as caller ID -> reachable on 1 number worldwide). Even better network quality than the very expensive national mobile contracts I had (don't need them anymore ), as it allows me to roam on several networks within the original country (which is not possible with the national providers - only 1 network).

As for the betamax voip clones, they have been working great for me for the past 7 years . Meanwhile I have seen SIMs suggested here come and go: United Telecom, Isle of Man sims, etc...

But of course, for the technophobes, if callback is too complicated, there are other more expensive "normal" options that can be cheaper than "normally used" +372 (=without callback) as several people have suggested.

[gkeeper]

Originally Posted by MBK

It has been working rock stable for 2 years here.

And when used properly, much cheaper than anything else that has been suggested here.

But some people prefer to juggle with X number of SIMs while also paying more because it seems easier to them.

So you say its MUCH cheaper than any other card on the market or mentioned in this thread, i do a lot of traveling to US and Canada, so i have taken these 2 countries as examples.

Call cost back to UK from US using .
Tru $0.15 calling a landline $0.33 calling a mobile, SMS $0.15
Piranha $0.14 calling a landline $0.17 calling a mobile, SMS $0.15 Data $0.30 MB
OneSimcard $0.45 calling a landline $0.45 calling a mobile SMS $0.40 Data $1.00 MB

Call cost back to UK from Canada using.
Tru $0.54 calling a landline $0.54 calling a mobile, SMS $0.45
Piranha $0.23 calling landline $0.26 calling mobile, SMS $0.15 Data $0.38 MB
OneSimcard $1.25 calling a landline, $1.25 calling a mobile, SMS $0.40 Data $1.00 MB

cost of card.
Tru $30.00 with $15.00 credit
Piranha $18.00 with $7.50 credit
Onesimcard $30.00 no credit.

these are approximate costs so i maybe 1 or 2 cents out, but my maths says the most expensive card by far is Onesimcard. If i am missing something please feel free to correct and when Toggle launches it will be cheaper still.

[MBK]

Keep in mind that I am talking about worldwide roaming (the subject of this thread), while you are talking about regional roaming.

But let's see:

Originally Posted by gkeeper

So you say its MUCH cheaper than any other card on the market or mentioned in this thread, i do a lot of traveling to US and Canada, so i have taken these 2 countries as examples.

Call cost back to UK from US using .
Tru $0.15 calling a landline $0.33 calling a mobile, SMS $0.15
Piranha $0.14 calling a landline $0.17 calling a mobile, SMS $0.15 Data $0.30 MB
OneSimcard $0.45 calling a landline $0.45 calling a mobile SMS $0.40 Data $1.00 MB

Onesimcard with callback (Single SIM - only onesimcard): US to UK

US Incoming: FREE
UK Landline: €0.07 incoming callback + FREE landline UK = €0.07 (+ one time €0.01 data to trigger the callback if not on WIFI)
UK Mobile: €0.07 incoming callback + €0.005 mobile UK = €0.075 (+ one time €0.01 data to trigger the callback if not on WIFI)
SMS UK using SIM menu: $0.15
SMS UK using Fishtext with WebSMS app on android: €0.03 (+ ~€0.03 data to send the SMS if not on WIFI)

Onesimcard with callback (dual-SIM - callback on 2nd local/regional SIM, showing +372 caller ID or any other caller ID): US to UK

US Incoming: FREE
UK Landline: FREE incoming callback + FREE landline UK = €0.00 (+ one time €0.01 data to trigger the callback if not on WIFI)
UK Mobile: FREE incoming callback + €0.005 mobile UK = €0.005 (+ one time €0.01 data to trigger the callback if not on WIFI)
SMS UK using SIM menu: $0.15
SMS UK using Fishtext with WebSMS app on android: €0.03 (+ ~€0.03 data to send the SMS if not on WIFI)


In any case, for data the best is a 2nd local SIM with local data bundles in the dual-sim phone (but if only to trigger the callbacks the Onesimcard is good enough).

Originally Posted by gkeeper

Call cost back to UK from Canada using.
Tru $0.54 calling a landline $0.54 calling a mobile, SMS $0.45
Piranha $0.23 calling landline $0.26 calling mobile, SMS $0.15 Data $0.38 MB
OneSimcard $1.25 calling a landline, $1.25 calling a mobile, SMS $0.40 Data $1.00 MB

Canada to UK: same rates as US above.

Originally Posted by gkeeper

cost of card.
Tru $30.00 with $15.00 credit
Piranha $18.00 with $7.50 credit
Onesimcard $30.00 no credit.

Airbaltic card is €10 with 0 credit if this is an issue (€35 with 30 credit and €50 with 50 credit).

(€ 15 for "Airbaltic American Dream" SIM if you want free incoming in US & Mexico)

Originally Posted by gkeeper

these are approximate costs so i maybe 1 or 2 cents out, but my maths says the most expensive card by far is Onesimcard. If i am missing something please feel free to correct and when Toggle launches it will be cheaper still.

Yes, Toggle Mobile already is my 2nd SIM in the dual-SIM phone for Europe.

[MBK]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

forwarding via c610ip to username@sip.hotvoip.com isn't possible?

I don't think so (not sure).

But you can do this:

1. c610ip : Settings > Telephony > Connections > add hotvoip (settings: HotVoip | Sizzling hot deals )
2. Settings > Telephony > Dialling Plans > make +372 go out via hotvoip

But keep in mind that this will be subject to the reliability of your c610ip Internet connection. It's much better to forward directly with hotvoip.

[Bossman]

Forget all the 3rd party stuff. Comparing receiving and making calls directly on the sim, there are better options than onesimcard. Calling out with onesimcard is about $1 or more from the countries I am likely to visit. Couple that with the insanely high rates most charge to call the +372 number, it certainly makes no sense for my travel needs. If it works for you, so be it!

[MBK]

Originally Posted by Bossman

Forget all the 3rd party stuff. Comparing receiving and making calls directly on the sim, there are better options than onesimcard. Calling out with onesimcard is about $1 or more from the countries I am likely to visit. Couple that with the insanely high rates most charge to call the +372 number, it certainly makes no sense for my travel needs. If it works for you, so be it!

Using the 3rd party dialer is exactly the same as using the stock phone dialer. No difference.

But if you feel safer when you pay more, more power to you (but then, why go through the trouble of juggling with your 5 SIM cards when you could just stay with your AT&T contract.)


edit: But many thanks to you. Network infrastructures need a lot of investments, and it is thanks to people like you who prefer to pay more that we, the users of 3rd party systems, can benefit while calling for extremely low rates, often even for free.

[fsotirop]

Callcentric free US number is valid for 1month only or unlimited?

[MBK]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

Callcentric free US number is valid for 1month only or unlimited?

You have to use it at least once in 30 days (i.ex: make or receive at least 1 call).

They will renew it every months as long as you use it, so you can keep your free number for ever. If you don't use it after 30 days it gets canceled (but then you can request a new number).

The free INUM number (+88351000: the new worldwide local call - can be called via SIP or worldwide local dial-in numbers: Dial in numbers | inum ) however, has no limits. You keep it even if you don't use it.

The INUM number is very useful for:

• calling people who have INUM numbers (SIP users)
• forwarding between SIP providers that don't allow SIP address calling/forwarding but do handle free INUM calls (i. ex: betamax clones, localphone,... don't allow external SIP addresses, but call INUM for free)

Edit: these landline & mobile operators route calls to INUM: http://www.inum.net/?page_id=22 , and these are known to route SMS to INUM : http://www.inum.net/?page_id=24

[fsotirop]

I obtained a callcentric US number forwarded it to hotvoip.com sip address and through hotvoip windows app forwarded it to the +372 . it works for just 0.07eur.per minute.
not sure if and when betamax will reblock these 372 numbers as many times since the last 5years.
Because bear in mind that termination net rate to travelsim 372 numbers is 0.15eur per minute...excl.vat

[MBK]

Originally Posted by fsotirop

I obtained a callcentric US number forwarded it to hotvoip.com sip address and through hotvoip windows app forwarded it to the +372 . it works for just 0.07eur.per minute.
not sure if and when betamax will reblock these 372 numbers as many times since the last 5years.
Because bear in mind that termination net rate to travelsim 372 numbers is 0.15eur per minute...excl.vat

Yes!

And now you can also be reached through hundreds of worldwide local access numbers:

Dial the local access number:
SIPBroker - PSTN Numbers

And dial: *462 + your callcentric ID = *4621777xxxxxx

More info here: Support

And also via INUM access numbers:

Local access numbers: Dial in numbers | inum

And dial your INUM that was assigned to you by callcentric.

If you set the same treatment as for the US number, everything lands on your +372.

Isn't this great? Yes it is!



edit: you can set a single "speed dial" key in your phone/directory, if you don't want to double dial.