travelsim.co.uk +44 and +1 mobile number

[bbob]

customer update 09/03/2009

Travelsim.co.uk will lunching a duel numbed sim card with both +447 and +1 US numbers.
The new sim card will offer American customers the option to have a United States number and for European users the option to possibly have FREE inbound roaming in the United States.
Our roaming partners in the U.S are AT&T and T-mobile, Thus giving full national coverage.

There have been several roumers form other roaming operators talking about this type of duel sum card. However our launch time is April 2009.


UK Customer Services

[easyroam-]

Yes. I can confirm this.

We are finalising the pricing and details and are looking to release in April 2009

Travelsim.co.uk

[MATHA531]

Free inbound roaming in the USA......I thought the way the cell phone operators operate in the USA prevents that from happening (we pay for airtime here both to call and to receive it is not caller pays the whole freight?)

Don't see how this can happen!

[MrEd]

GeoSIM is also launching a dual IMSI. GeoSIM Dual IMSI and Free incoming in USA

[andy]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

Free inbound roaming in the USA......I thought the way the cell phone operators operate in the USA prevents that from happening (we pay for airtime here both to call and to receive it is not caller pays the whole freight?)

Don't see how this can happen!

When I read the thread about the forthcoming UM dual ID SIM, I thought I saw the prospect of almost free incoming calls there, but wondered if I'd misunderstood slightly.

I assume that if it can be achieved, free incoming calls there would be only while dialled on the +447 number rather than the +1, thus using the former's incoming termination fee margin to subsidise the call reaching the +1 identity, much like it does to help cover incoming roaming cost in other countries.

For people from most countries, a choice of which of these numbers to forward their other calls to will depend on comparing their other providers' tariffs. For US customers roaming in other countries and for some but not all UK customers, there is the potential extra benefit of forwarding from their inclusive minutes.

[bbob]

I am surprised also to read free roaming inside the USA. Even when I was in the USa last year, receiving calls on a at&t card was charged 10 cents per minute. As far as I know it's common in the USa that you pay for incoming calls on you cellphone.

So I really wonder how they will make this work.

[Bossman]

Yes, we pay for incomimg calls because we do not differentiate between landlines and mobiles. Hence, it does not cost anyone extra to call a US mobile vs a landline. So, I guess that cost is passed on to the the receiver of the call. It's capp receiving party Pays (RPP). You cannot look at a US phone number and determine if it's a landline or mobile.

Originally Posted by bbob

I am surprised also to read free roaming inside the USA. Even when I was in the USa last year, receiving calls on a at&t card was charged 10 cents per minute. As far as I know it's common in the USa that you pay for incoming calls on you cellphone.

So I really wonder how they will make this work.

[PhotoJim]

Andy has it. Mobile carriers generate revenue from inbound calls in most countries, because the rates to call them are significantly higher than to call standard lines.

My guess is that this SIM will have free inbound calls only if the call comes from the +447 number as a result. The fee the carrier generates from the inbound call might have enough margin to permit routing the call to the US, plus paying the airtime to the roaming carrier.

I can't see that happening if the call is received on the +1 number.

Still, a lot of European people have sufficiently inexpensive rates to call +447 mobiles. And US travelers can ensure that if people want to bother them while on their American vacation, the caller can foot the bill. It doesn't seem too unfair.