Non-motoring > Phoning abroad. Best options	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: legacylad	Replies: 25

New Wed 22 Sep 10 22:35   Phoning abroad. Best options - legacylad

SWMBO daughter has now emigrated to the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles to be specific. Obviously they like to speak, and tried skype a few years ago whilst she was on a RTW trip. The skype option had a 15 second delay which made things difficult! Any suggestions please as to the best way of keeping in touch by phone. Many thanks Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 22:45   Phoning abroad. Best options - Zero

Try skype first. It (well not it, but the main IP networks) have improved a lot speed wise in the last three years. All the main telcos use VOIP (voice over IP) for the main trunks, so skype has benefited from the investment. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 22:48   Phoning abroad. Best options - smokie

...and if Skype isn't any use then some of the other cheaper call options (e.g. Vonage) may also be bad too, as they use VOIP as well. Z is right in that Skype has improved though. Got to be first choice. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 23:04   Phoning abroad. Best options - mikeyb

The outlaws reside in Northern Cyprus a fair bit and we communicat via skype. Works well as they get to see and chat with the kids. Cant say that I have noticed a big delay Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 23:36   Phoning abroad. Best options - rtj70

Skype has improved a lot - or rather the networks it relies on have. I could chat to my brother in the states and have a lengthy conversation for free. Recently used it a lot to chat to our son who spent 6 months travelling in Australia. But the OP does mention a particular location - anyone know how good the Internet speeds are to there? I might try a speed test now if there's a server there. I mention I could use Skype to call my brother (and do) but I also have an international call option on the phone - sometimes it's easier to actually call. Spent about 20 minutes on the phone the other day and it was approx 60p. But this is USA so cheaper than the OP's call destination. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 23:40   Phoning abroad. Best options - rtj70

Speed test to the Maldives showed a very high latency but bandwidth seemed okay. Seychelles was not on the list of servers but it is closer to mainland Africa (Somalia for example). Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 23:44   Phoning abroad. Best options - Iffy

I recently received an email promoting Google Talk, which looks to me like Google's equivalent of Skype. It said something about it being 'in beta' - development? I'm not a user of VOIP services, but Google stuff generally works well, so their version might be worth a try. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 22 Sep 10 23:48   Phoning abroad. Best options - legacylad

Thanks for replies so far. I am a numpty at this sort of thing and if skype worked satisfactorily in the Seychelles then I assume the young 'uns would have said so. I shall investigate broadband speeds out there... Thanks everyone. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 00:08   Phoning abroad. Best options - rtj70

I too thought if Skype was an option they'd be using it. Anything using the Internet may not be a good option so a good call plan etc. But the delay on Skype might not be as bad if there is a delay. I mentioned a speed test to the Maldives... ping (i.e. latency) was over 600ms compared to sub 20ms etc. but bandwidth was good. Download for me was 20Mbit/s and upload 1.5Mbit/s. Skype from the UK end might still be an option using Skype Out to keep costs down? My brother has Google Talk (or whatever its called) and it routes calls to the phone number where he is and if he's out and about it will be his mobile. On many occasions from the UK the number he has with Google just does not connect. Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 23 Sep 10 at 00:10 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 00:52   Phoning abroad. Best options - Skoda

www.dialwise.co.uk/ -- They're doing 2p/min to landline, 9p/min to mobile in the Seychelles. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 01:13   Phoning abroad. Best options - rtj70

Isn't that site listing premium rate numbers!?? 0911 etc. So yes they charge a little for the onward call. Apologies if wrong but caution in order? I assume not all 0911 numbers are a rip off. Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 23 Sep 10 at 01:15 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 02:11   Phoning abroad. Best options - Skoda

It's an 0844 on that site (charged at 2p/min in this case)? Unless you're seeing something i'm not? EDIT: just checked with ofcom incase, but anything beginning 084 has a max cap at 5p/min so the claimed 2p/min fits with that Last edited by: Skoda on Thu 23 Sep 10 at 02:14 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 07:38   Phoning abroad. Best options - smokie

...but if they are using VOIP then its likely to have similar performance to Skype. Both would be virtually free to trial wouldn't they? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 10:46   Phoning abroad. Best options - rtj70

Must have selected the country above Seychelles in the list because that is an 0911 number. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 08:45   Phoning abroad. Best options - Zero

> >> I'm not a user of VOIP services, but Google stuff generally works well, so their >> version might be worth a try. You may not think so, but you could very well be without knowing it. Matters not who you have your main telephone contract with, once you initiate a call and it leaves the control of your telco it will get routed by whatever is required. Its quite likely that it will get VOIP'd at some stages. I get virtually free telephone calls with Tiscali (Now Talk Talk), and the only way, commercially, they can do that is to use VOIP. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 09:57   Phoning abroad. Best options - FotheringtonTomas

bit.ly/9grp9y www.planet-numbers.co.uk/phone_seychelles.jsp www.cherry-call.co.uk/africa/phone_seychelles.jsp Etc. Simple, quality may be variable from time to time (from experience 'phoning the Far East). Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 10:20   Phoning abroad. Best options - Roger.

VOIP cheap are a Skype alternative. They also have a phone to phone facility which works like Jajah - you input your phone number and that of your callee, into your computer, press the button. Your 'phone rings: pick it up and it automatically connects to your destination phone. I've just checked with a call to the UK from my EU location and it worked fine. UK is a free destination at present (terms & conditions apply, as they say) so the only cost was call connection of 0.05€. In many countries they have a local access number for ordinary 'phone use when your computer is not available. Dial that, wait for the announcement and input your required number, press # and it connects. Rates and destinations here: www.voipcheap.com/en/calling-rates.html Last edited by: landsker on Thu 23 Sep 10 at 10:22 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 23 Sep 10 12:30   Phoning abroad. Best options - Dr Prunesqualler

Earlier this year my wife was trapped in Hong Kong for 7 days as a result of the volcanic ash cloud closing all UK airports. Quite a stressful time for all as she did not know when she could return. Obviously we wanted to keep in touch. The best option turned out to be a phonecard. It cost £5 and enabled me to call her mobile for 700 minutes! The card has an access number (0800 so free) then you have to tap in the card number followed by the phone number you want. A bit of a faff but well worth it for the stupid price. After entering the numbers a voice tells you how long you have left on the card to that number and then dials the number. Call quality is absolutely normal. We still use such cards to phone relatives in Australia and Vietnam. I am not sure but I believe you can use them from outside the UK to call the UK. I cannot remember the name of the card but they are widely available in newsagents, especially in areas with immigrant populations. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 15:34   Phoning abroad. Best options - Stuartli

See: callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ I've never had any problems using Skype (including video) over long distances and I've been using it since it was first released many years ago (dial-up modem as well at the time!). Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:07   Phoning abroad. Best options - Dog

Slight thread drift ... How does 18185.co.uk work, I've registered but rarely use it as I have 'free' evening and weekend calls, but when I do use it to phone long distance in the UK, a sweet voice says zero pence per minute! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:40   Phoning abroad. Best options - bathtub tom

>>18185.co.uk How do you find this stuff? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:50   Phoning abroad. Best options - FotheringtonTomas

I've used 18866 for quite a while. I like it, and it's also got that nice lady who says "Zero pee per minute!". I like that. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:50   Phoning abroad. Best options - kb

Re. 18185 (and also 1899) Having registered you need to have, say, a direct debit in place. As you say, it says 'zero pence per minute' - which is the case for UK landline numbers beginning 01 &02 and you get charged a one off fee for that call - it's 4p or 5p at present... and that's it. You can then talk for a minimum 2 hours and maybe more without further charge. It's good for mobiles and calling abroad too. It's all on their website. They have 'sister' companies....1899 and 18866 ... with similar charges. Again, compare rates on those particular websites. I've used them regularly for a minimum 15 years, probably longer...and not had a scrap of trouble - either with the calls or the billing. Rarely use them now as I have a broadband and phone package with IDNet ...just occasional mobile calls. Last edited by: kb on Fri 24 Sep 10 at 16:52 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:56   Phoning abroad. Best options - Dog

>> it's 4p or 5p at present... and that's it.<< Cheers kb, that's what I thought :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 16:58   Phoning abroad. Best options - kb

As an aside, when the companies in question started, many years ago, the 'set up fee' was half a "p" but that was definitely 15 yrs ago, and quite possibly longer. 4p or 5p still isn't bad for a couple of hours local and/or national call. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 24 Sep 10 17:53   Phoning abroad. Best options - Dog

>>4p or 5p still isn't bad for a couple of hours local and/or national call<< Cheap as chips, I've noticed that if the person I'm talking to speaks while I'm speaking, then I can't always hear them, do they use VOIP I wonder. Reply to this message | Report message