Phone home from Ethiopia

December 22, 2006 12:45 PM

How much does it cost to phone Canada from Ethiopia? Is it possible to buy a long distance calling card in Ethiopia for calling Canada?
posted by metaname to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

might be cheaper to use Skype, if you have internet access there.
posted by softlord at 1:48 PM on December 22, 2006

I was going to suggest http://www.infocanadadirect.com/ at first, but they don't seem to have an Ethiopian access number... perhaps email the embassy: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/world/embassies/ethiopia/
posted by CKmtl at 1:50 PM on December 22, 2006

hrm.. I'm a n00b, forgive the bad linking. here and here
posted by CKmtl at 1:52 PM on December 22, 2006

Skype charges CA$ 0.536 per minute. (ouch)
posted by gmarceau at 2:51 PM on December 22, 2006

No, skype charges CA$ 0.024 (same link) per minute to calls to Canada.
posted by b1tr0t at 3:19 PM on December 22, 2006

(the 0.536 / minute figure is for calls to ethopia)
posted by b1tr0t at 3:19 PM on December 22, 2006

I'm kinda doubtful that I'll be able to get Skype working as I've heard that internet access is still really slow there (slow for dialup even), but thanks for all the suggestions.
posted by metaname at 3:35 PM on December 22, 2006

My closest experience is in Yemen, but it's possible they have fairly similar situations, especially if there were at one time a lot of refugees (which I think there were).

Probably, in all town of reasonable size, there will be phone shops which people use to talk to overseas relatives. These are priced to make them affordable to locals, which in turn makes them affordable to foreigners. I can't give you a rate, but if there are an appreciable number of Ethiopians calling Canada (or the US), then it will almost certainly be affordable from one of these shops (or possibly with a card bought from one).

So, no answer I guess, but some optimism...
posted by claudius at 4:14 PM on December 22, 2006

Found call2 that offers international telephone service by calling you first then connecting to any other phone in the world. Ethopia to Canada is US$0.412/min. Also AT&T offers a calling card that might work.
posted by Fins at 7:57 PM on December 22, 2006