International Telephone Calling Tips By Raymond Klesc Global
Value Connect http://www.globalvalueconnect.com
If your business requires overseas communications with suppliers
or customers; or if you have a loved one living or traveling
abroad; you know that the cost for overseas calls can come as a
shock to your budget and cause you heartburn if you think what
the future may have in store. Calling rates vary from country to
country, so the impact on your telephone bill could be dramatic,
but there are a few things that you can do to help lessen the
costs in the future.
• Calling Overseas Mobile Devices: Be very careful when placing
telephone calls to mobile devices overseas. There are many
overseas carriers that use a "calling party pays" system when
calling mobile devices (cell phone, pager, etc.) originating
from within the United States. It is entirely possible that the
tariff rate for an overseas wireless phone might be considerably
higher compared to a call placed to a land-line in the same
country. This surcharge is referred to as an “International /
Special Services Termination Rate”. It should be listed on your
carrier’s International calling plan rate schedule. U.S.
carriers do not have a choice in this matter and it does you no
good to complain to your local provider regarding what you may
perceive as excessive charges that appear on your telephone bill.
• Direct Dialing or Dialaround: Depending upon the country you
are calling, you may get an overall attractive calling rate by
dialing direct; accessing the network by dialing 011 + country
code + city code plus the local number. However, you may want to
consider using a dialaround service if your local plan charges a
high tariff for a country you intend to call regularly. These
services are also referred to as a 10-10 number. You do not need
to switch long distance carriers to use a dialaround number and
it can be used in many foreign countries as well to call home.
These services usually have very competitive International rates
and can save you considerable sums. Be advised, however, that
you will not be able to use a dialaround service if you must
dial 8 or 9 to access your dial tone, such as from an office or
hotel.
• Operator Assistance To Place Calls: Never, ever, use an
operator to place an International call unless it is an absolute
emergency. Obviously for every rule there are exceptions,
collect calls, person-to-person and third party billing are
examples, but whenever possible dial direct or use a dialaround
service. When I first moved to Indonesia several years ago I
called my son on his birthday using the local operator and we
talked for about an hour. This was before I got into this
business. My phone bill was in excess of $100. A dialaround
service, which was not available at the time, would have cost me
about $15.00 or less.
When using the operator to place your call here are some helpful
hints.
The best way to place your call is to dial “0” followed by the
number you wish to call, such as 0-123-456-7890. This will help
make the connection faster. This method could be less expensive
depending upon the carrier.
The standard way is to dial “0” or “00” for International calls
and tell the operator the number you wish to call and any
special instructions such as collect or person-to-person.
• Prepaid Calling Cards: Using a prepaid card is yet another way
to save money on International calls. Prepaid calling cards are
portable and provide some protection against unseemly practices
by the telecoms. You need to consider if there are any extra
charges for the time and place of your call such as connection
fees, maintenance or monthly fee, the billing increment of your
call, and expiration date of the card. If you intend to use
calling cards on a regular basis then consider a rechargeable
card that will not expire.
• Calling FROM a U.S. Based Cell Phone: There are countless
horror stories on the Internet about how much some consumers
have been “charged” (ripped off) by cellular providers for
International calls. Fortunately, you can save substantial sums
of money on these types of calls by planning ahead. You need to
look for "stand alone" International calling plans that allow
you to dialaround your cellular carrier, essentially bypassing
their network for the International part of the call. The stand
alone plan provides a substantial discount off the cellular
provider’s rates for International calls. The best part is that
you do not need to change your cellular carrier to use the
system. Simply register your cell phone number with the system
provider and dial their U.S. access number provided to you
before making your International call.
• Placing Your Call: As mentioned above, if you are dialing
direct you would dial: 011 + country code + city code + number.
On the other hand, if you are using a dialaround provider, you
would dial: 10-1x-xxx + 011 + country code + city code + number.
In addition, keep in mind that there are about 20-countries
outside of the U.S. where you would just dial 1+ without dialing
the 011.
The “10-1x-xxx” represents the specific dialing code for the
provider that you have selected. Contact your selected
dialaround provider for the exact dialing requirements to access
their system.
• Voice over IP (VoIP): Voice over IP (VoIP) stand for Voice
over Internet Protocol and can be a very inexpensive way to
handle International calls. You need to have a broadband
Internet connection available, such as a DSL or cable
connection, and a touch tone phone. Using VoIP can also provide
unlimited long distance service as well. Plans can be obtained
for about $50.00 or less per month. For more information about
VoIP, go to http://www.globalvalueconnect.com/VoIP.htm
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