[Updated Jan 26th: the free incoming in USA has already stopped, so all of the messages below are just historical...]

The 0044.co.uk website has now been updated with new rates. It confirms what I've know from the online billing for a few weeks but assumed was a billing error - the 0044 Global Sim (which is the Callkeyone card) is now FREE incoming in USA!

It's possibly the only prepaid that has free incoming in the US - I don't think any domestic ones have that.

Of course the number is a UK (really IOM) mobile so even callback isn't that cheap.

Does anybody know the cheapest callback company for UK mobile to UK/US? 23c per min is the price to beat. (Enlinea Mango shows a rate of 25c/min to US, but bills 23c, I've just tried it).

(BTW IOM mobiles can currently be reached from Skype out for 2c/min but I don't expect that will last).

When I looked at 0044 tariff calculator yesterday, I noticed free incoming in USA but but I thought it was just an error. That's quite amazing :).

BTW, Effendi - why haven't you put an info about 0044 in the International Cards section yet?

Are we sure that this is a standard UK mobile number rather than some premium rate number, e.g. an 0702 or an 0900 number os something. Also, note that many of those funky UK numbers cannot be called from outside the UK at any rate.


With respect to the US rates, checkout this link:

http://0044.co.uk/global-sim-coverage.htm

This is their coverage list. It says that the US is a country with incoming call charges.
Also note that incoming calls in Canada are US$0.59 a minute. Canada and the US are usually the same rate. What's the difference here?

Note: their rates for Russia aren't bad.

Yes, that's out of date. I have the card, and I've received calls in the US with it, the rates shown on the rate calculator have now been updated to show that the US is $0.00/min incoming. My online billing shows these calls, and they are free.

The number is a Callkey number range in the Isle of Man (subcontracted from Manx Telecom), which is the same range GT-sim use (i.e. +44 7624 10n nnn). Charged same as UK mobiles by most companies (a few might get confused as it is a "pager" number range, and Skype at least charges it as a landline). Enlinea charge it as UK mobile and callbacks to it with Enlinea work (23c/min to US).

I agree it's odd Canada is still charged for. It's too cold just now to drive up there to check the rate. :D

Perhaps the main difference is the 0044 card isn't their product, they are simply retailers for the card, which is a "CallKeyOne" card. Callkey are a callback company (Isle of Man and Tucson, Arizona), so likely have a switch in the US already.

So maybe the expected reduction in the GT-sim surcharge in the US will be soon as well, GT-sim did mention "February" for that (and more roaming) at one time.

Do you have any knowledge whether the SIM will work in Japan with a WCDMA handset?

I've had my eye on Voipfone at 9.5p per minute.

They have some interesting call options, even for people that do not actually use VoIP directly - call forwarding, voicemail to email, fax to email, callback triggered by portal number, website or sms (+ conferencing, virtual pbx ...)

But I'm wondering if the direct callback won't work with the caller ID off

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/builder.php
http://www.voipfone.co.uk/PB_Free_Access_Call_Back.php

... and I'm wondering about Skype call diversion too ...

Very unlikely - Japan isn't listed as a roaming country.

Voipfone.co.uk was the first one I tried, but it doesn't work in this case. It uses a single trigger number, and relies on caller id to know who to call back. So a trigger call from 0044 (or United Mobile etc) that already comes from a callback doesn't work, nor can a second phone be used.

A bit off topic: for the past few months I've been using voipfone.co.uk as my primary landline phone (via a cable modem), excellent quality and good access to UK non-geographic numbers. I use it via a Sipura VOIP adaptor, so I've set a dial plan, and here in the US I can pick up the phone and dial Isle of Man numbers as local (the price is close to local also), dial UK numbers as in the UK, US numbers as in the US, etc. The days of POTS phones are numbered.

I've also been using that, as my "find me" number (my home Isle of Man number is on call-divert to the Skype number). One US number on Skype-in, rings three outgoing numbers at the same time. However, they don't support some numbers, e.g. the 09 Iceland number range can't be reached from Skype (nor UK 056 VOIP numbers yet).

Is there no way to set up a wap/gprs trigger, either directly or their web call-me-back button, similar to what DRN suggested for CBW/Enlinea?

Or with a call divert, and CallKey's callback, via sms or email?

Yes, there is a web trigger, which would suit some people. (there's a page where you just enter any two numbers, and they'll connect them).

Normally if I'm near the internet I'd have access to a landline, voip or Skype phone though, all preferable to a callback.