My client, Roam4Free has finally gone live after a long and arduous course.
The new service allows mobile phone users calling each other between countries to bypass steep roaming charges. Just go here to sign up . The service can be used in 115 countries on three continents calling people in any country. Pat vows that the service will expand to include the US and other countries over the next few months.
If you use Roam4Free your international calling costs will be cut by well over 90 percent. The way it works is that they send you a SIM card that you either slip into your mobile phone, or you buy a cheaP dedicated handset to use when you travel. The SIM card acts like you are in one country when you are in another.
For example, if someone in France received lots oif calls from Ireland, he or she would insert a SIM card into a cell phone that was attached to a European mobile number. Then, any calls received from Ireland would be treated as a local number. Instead of paying over a dollar a minute, you'd be paying a penny or two.
The SIM card costs you 20 euro or about $26. This includes a 5 euro credit for making calls. When you burn through that, you can top off at the Roam4Free site again.
There are lots of new "cheap talk" systems rapidly coming onto the market. I like the ones that let you be untethered from your computer. I think the race today is not just for lower prices, it is for simplicity in the services provided. I think this one is pretty neat.
Of course, I'm rooting for Pat in this increasingly competitive field. But, I'm also thrilled to see all this competition being offered up. After decades of everyone getting screwed by government-protected carriers, we seem to be enetering an era when the user wins.
Technorati Tags: roam4free, patphelan
powered by performancing firefox
I agree on the simplicity comment. The troubl with most of these [cheap call] systems s the hassle you hve to go through!
Posted by: Tom | January 23, 2007 at 08:04 AM
OH, this could be fantastic. Thank you for the tip! I'm currently living in London with only a cell phone, a boyfriend in Germany and parents in the US. A service like this would make my life a lot easier and less expensive! I hope it works and starts a trend!
Posted by: Katie Konrath | January 23, 2007 at 02:26 PM
only a penny or two for call rates?
that's quite an increase on what can be read from June the year before, in which calls would be free
and since then, Pat has slagged off Isle of Man SIMs, on the market a long time before he was, as too expensive to reach
but cheap than Estonia I think
Posted by: andy | August 31, 2007 at 02:45 PM