roaming sim + unlimited calls

[pg-tel]

i just image a roaming sim with unlimited calls to europe and usa, is that feasible?

[GadgetKen]

An interesting idea for people who make a high volume of international phone calls and travel to many countries...but don't think anything like this currently exists (if someone knows differently please chime in).

Problem is to have unlimited international calls in multiple countries a provider would have to charge a very high base fee per month.

A VOIP device (e.g. Skype) would come close for computer to computer phone calls, or very low rate calls to many countries from a VOIP device to a landline, but this scheme would be dependent on free or low cost high speed internet being widely available...unfortunately it is not like that everywhere.

A more realistic way to accomplish this would be to have a dual, triple or quad sim phone with unlimited usage sim chips dedicated to commonly visited countries. For instance the US has several resellers that have "unlimited" (but not unreasonable) service that includes international long distance to certain countries. The AT&T MVNO I use called Jolt, has a US$50/month plan that includes unlimited calls and international long distance: JoltMobile.com But I just use their $.15/minute flat rate plan that includes international long distance because my calling needs are not that great. Of course, the sim chip would be useless outside the USA for roaming (other than emergency calls) so this is not a one sim chip solution.

[snidely]

GadgetKen -
Their site is hopeless as far as info is concerned. I can't find their intl. calling rates. At one place they say free calling to 70 countries - with an asterisk next to that line. No explanation.
Anyway, this isn't a roaming SIM and with all other U.S. carriers you can make use of Google Voice (GV) to place calls cheaply to intl destinations. To most lst world landlines - 2 cents/min. With GV and a smart fone, the calling is seamless.

...mike

[pg-tel]

Well a lot of companies say they have *unlimited * caling plan but then add fair use policy...Whats the point then? I just think we travellers just need a decent company with decent rate.

Technology is fast envolving and i look forward to the day when roaming will be wiped and everywhere becomes local.

Or even if skype or some voip company produces thier own kind of phones built with free roaming and calling amongst members (this might just be the solution)...

[bbob]

Even skype has a limit of 60 calls and maximum 5 hours per day on their 10.000 minute unlimited call plan.

But yes selling unlimited and that saying you have fair use is cheating on customers.
That said if there was true unlimited it would be heavily misused by say callshops that would use the system 24/7 cheap and sell them expensive.

[snidely]

I'm know I'm being repetitive - but U.S. customers can get unlimited intl roaming - with a couple caveats:
1. You have to be on T-Mobile (an unlimited voice plan is about $50/mo.)
2. You need a phone that has their UMA feature. (All recent BBerrys, a few others, and most new Androids coming out will have this feature.
3. To make "free" calls, you have to be able to connect to a wifi connection
4. The destination number for free calls has to be a U.S. number. You would be able to dial non-U.S. numbers for as little as 2 cents/min. by making use of Google Voice. Using GV is seamless on virtually all smart phones.

Some day (not in my lifetime, I'm too old), there will we world-wide roaming among most cell carriers. I still remember the early days of cellular in the U.S. Every time you went to a new metro area on a trip you would have to register on a new system and often pay $2/day plus 50 cents to $1/min to make calls while you roamed. If you were
on a long trip you could pay 3 or 4 of those daily charges per day. It was iffy if callers calls to you came thru. Making outgoing calls, even from your home area, incurred high LD charges.
...mike
In the meantime, if you are in one location for any length of time, get a local prepaid. I don't think intl roaming SIMS will ever be solid enuf to appeal to a mainline business user. When a company spends $thousands in salary, airfare, hotel etc. to send someone overseas, the few hundred in roaming charges that may be incurred is a non-issue.