DIY Phone Routing for International Calls?

January 19, 2007 4:23 PM

If it costs me, say, 2 cents a minute to call a landline in Europe and, say, 25 cents a minute to call a cell phone in that same city- why isn't there a service (in Europe) that allows me to call a landline which connects my call to a mobile phone (and charges me 5 cents a minute or a monthly charge or whatever) Or, is there?
posted by vacapinta to technology (12 comments total)

Its been a while for me, but i used to work for a cell service provider back when digital was 'new'.

At the time most providers actually have a system set up, I think it was initially meant for business travellers, so your contacts would not have to dial long distance to you if you were visiting from out of town.

Theoretically these land line to cell systems are still up, I'd call your provider and ask around.
posted by efalk at 4:31 PM on January 19, 2007

They have a couple that do this with VOIP for the long distance part:

1) Jajah - You enter both phone numbers on their web page, and it calls both of them using local number, and connect the call over the internet.

2) Rebtel - I don't really understand this one. Same idea though. You both use your local minutes and it connects it through the internet. Maybe this article will explain?
posted by smackfu at 4:35 PM on January 19, 2007

Why aren't you just using skype? I mean... you could be calling from your computer for super duper cheap. I couldn't afford to talk to my friends as regularly as I do without it.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:50 PM on January 19, 2007

ah of course. VOIP as an intermediary makes even more sense. Thanks smackfu!

miss lynnster: The folks I want to speak with arent always at a computer and neither am I. I need a cheap(er) mobile-to-mobile solution from the US to Europe.
posted by vacapinta at 4:54 PM on January 19, 2007

Skype isn't always cheaper when calling internationally. Computer to computer on skype however is always free.
posted by subtle_squid at 4:59 PM on January 19, 2007

This isn't exactly what you asked for, but have you heard of futurephone?
posted by buggzzee23 at 5:21 PM on January 19, 2007

My friend in Austria has skype so we talk for free every other day. Costs 2¢ a minute to call my friend in Australia & 15¢ a minute to call Egypt, so I've found it invaluable for the people I want to talk to.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:44 PM on January 19, 2007

buggzzee23: futurephone is great in that international calls are free! They are using the Iowa loophole, right? In any case they only seem to work to European landlines.
posted by vacapinta at 6:22 PM on January 19, 2007

Generally speaking, 25 cents a minute is also what it costs landlines in that city to call cell phones in that city. Unlike in the US, where the owner of the cell phone is charged whether he is calling or answering, in Europe the caller pays the entire tariff, which is why calling cell phones costs so much. See also the popularity of text-messaging.

(As I've always understood it)
posted by alexei at 9:03 PM on January 19, 2007

Alexei is correct. Calling mobile phones in Europe from abroad is expensive because calling them while you're in Europe is expensive. In the scenario you describe, the service would end up paying 25 cents a minute (or close to it) to make the call to the cellphone.
posted by cillit bang at 12:13 AM on January 20, 2007

Calling UK mobile phones using Skype is very expensive: 20.5 Euro cents a minute.

If it was the same as landlines (1.7 cents), I would just have Skype forward all calls to my mobile, when I am not at the computer.
posted by sindark at 8:11 AM on January 20, 2007

20.5 euro per minute?! Surely you mean, alexei, 0.205 Euro/minute.
posted by cmiller at 9:12 AM on January 20, 2007