Review of Truphone

[Stu]

Truphone has been busy. That added a bunch of countries to their plans.

https://gigaom.com/2014/05/21/intern...-66-countries/

I can't tell if this is only for monthly subscribers.

[davidtheprof]

from the press release, this is for business customers, who are now their main strategic focus. Us lowly retail consumers are stuck with same service, for now at least. Even the rates for their new so-called core countries, Germany, Poland, etc, are not so great. It's only a good deal for US, UK, and Australia.

[snidely]

Originally Posted by davidtheprof

from the press release, this is for business customers, who are now their main strategic focus. Us lowly retail consumers are stuck with same service, for now at least. Even the rates for their new so-called core countries, Germany, Poland, etc, are not so great. It's only a good deal for US, UK, and Australia.

Can't UK (and all users in "Euro"" countries) now roam in each others countries very cheaply? Maybe I have misinterpreted what has happened "over there".
U.S. users can now roam 95% of the time since T-Mobile has "free" roaming (unlimited text and data) and 20¢/min voice.

Truphone obviously has to focus on heavy (business) users outside the U.S.- and focus on UK and other travelers going to U.S. and other countries. I wouldn't think it pays to deal with a consumer type that travels only once or twice a year and racks up minimal bills.

[rfranzq]

Originally Posted by snidely

Can't UK (and all users in "Euro"" countries) now roam in each others countries very cheaply? Maybe I have misinterpreted what has happened "over there".

One thing that Truphone has that is legally required of 'some' businesses in Europe is the ability to record and preserve calls.
I have seen no one else taut this.

[tux]

It will happen on 15-12-2015, date on which European customers must be given the possibility to use the national plan outside the home country (within the EU), without surcharges - just a "Fair Use Policy" in some exceptional cases. From July 2014 EU subscriber will have free incoming calls throughout EU countries - EU carriers must begin to associate in order to cover the 70% of EU population through various agreements (and in the meantime nobody stops them from offering EU-wide offers). All this given that the European Council and the European Parliament approve Neelie Kroes proposal. Otherwise, since July 2014 European customers will have the possibility to subscribe a roaming plan with a foreign carrier keeping your national number and the Eurotariff will see small lowerings.

[davidtheprof]

as of July 1 2014, outgoing calls in EU will cost max. 19c (Euros), incoming 6, and data 20c/MB. Current rates nearly double that.
And the proposal to abolish roaming for EU carriers within EU not yet approved, as far as I know. Recent elections won't help, either!

[snidely]

Originally Posted by davidtheprof

as of July 1 2014, outgoing calls in EU will cost max. 19c (Euros), incoming 6, and data 20c/MB. Current rates nearly double that.
And the proposal to abolish roaming for EU carriers within EU not yet approved, as far as I know. Recent elections won't help, either!

OFF topic: Yeah - just read in today's NYTimes about how far to the right some countries are going. Isolationism now seems to be quite popular in some countries. Can't understand Greece which was bailed out by the rest of the EU.

Anyway - my original statement still stands. In the original days of cellular in the U.S. you paid long distance for any call outside your very local area and paid to roam outside your immediate home area. For the last several years, calls anywhere within the U.S. are considered "local", and there hasn't been roaming within U.S. for, maybe, 10 years. Starting about 5 years ago, most "regular" plans include unlimited voice minutes (in/out). The same will happen with international calling and roaming in the not to distant future.

[Sophia]

New rates for Truphone: https://www.truphone.com/us/lp/hello-world/

Shame their data fees are so outrageous in Canada, if Piranha manages to charge 10x less why can't Tru?

[bones_boy]

Looks like many of the international roaming prices went up incrementally across the board outside of the eight Truphone countries. Some went down a lot though - like South Korea. Assume it's a new roaming partner or partners?

[kctopitz]

The 9 cent flat rate for Truphone countries is definitely impressive, and it apparently includes tax, which resolves a previous gripe I had with them.

$.09 per minute or SMS is even less than the prepaid rates of local prepaid service in most of Europe, i.e. in Germany, the "best deal" SIM cards have rates of €.09 ($.12) per minute or SMS. I'll definitely be using them more.

Now if only they'd start offering data packages...