XXsim now add a +44 number free of charge
 

starting from next month XXsim will add a UK mobile number free of charge to all accounts. incoming calls to this number are also free of charge in 150 countries. You can ask customer care if you wish to set the outgoing number to the +44, otherwise the +372 is still used.

Thanks for the information. May I ask you if this number is a premium one (Isle of Man or Jersey, very expensive to call, like those provided by Lemonsim) or a normal one?
Thanks in advance

i will feedback as soon as my card got this number.

Thanks, I look forward to your reply.

Here is the official email that I found in my Inbox today:

Dear XXSIM registered customer,

Please take note that we will add a new, free feature to all of our XXSIM cards. A new UK Number (+447) will be added to each SIM card. This means that the SIM card will be reachable on the base number (+372) as usual and also at this new UK number (+447). This number carries the same benefits (free received calls abroad in approx. 150 countries). This feature will be available on all our SIM cards in maximum 1 month from now. As soon as your UK number is active, it will be available in your account. You have to click “More” to see it.

Of course, you can still add up to 3 other national numbers (Swiss landline +41, USA landline +1) at the conditions described on the website. If you already have a national number active, nothing will change except that a new UK number will be added. If you already have a national UK number active, then this number will have the same benefits as the base number (+372) from now, and no new number will be added. Your caller ID will remain unchanged. If you prefer your caller ID to be the UK number for outgoing calls, you can place a request at support@xxsim.com.

Let us know if the UK number they will assign is a Guernsey, Jersey, Man or - hopefully - normal mobile phone number. Thanks.

Will this UK number also be shown when sending Sms?

Thanks.

Given that incoming will remain free in the same 150 countries its relatively certain it won't be a normal number.

But it will of course be interesting to see how much calls to this number will be charged compared to the Estonian number.

I specifically asked them this question and they replied "it will be a normal number". Obviously this can be confirmed only by those who already have the sim. Let's see what DG7FEQ will say after testing the new number.
I also have another question: since their website is a bit cryptic, where can I find the section and prices for other numbers to be added?

I had contact with the support of XXsim today. They told me, that my UK Number is already assigned and it is a regular UK number. My number is +44 7700 3XXXXX.

Researching it here http://www.area-codes.org.uk/mobile/#077 I got told, it is indeed a "regular" mobile number, but from SURE from Jersey. Localphone charges me 19.9 Euro Cent per minute to call.

On the other hand, included minutes from mobile contracts do not diversify by carrier...

BK

Thanks for reporting back. Well, it seems to me a bit expensive to call. In my setup (Pbxes plus an Estonian based sim) calls are transferred at 13 c/min., less than the price paid above.

Thanks for the feedback.

This number is more expensive to call than normal UK numbers.

After testing calling to it with the regular voip providers that charge free or 1 or 2 cents when calling normal numbers, it's 12 cents € to call this number.

This confirms my fears. Thanks.

Home from the office, I put my xxsim into a phone to try. Placing outgoing calls roaming on a swiss network (sunrise) worked ok, already using the UK Jersey number.

However, calling back from my regular swiss mobile on SALT network is not going trough at all. 3 tries, only occupied tone. Calling the original Estonian number from my swiss mobile worked without any problem. Seems, that provider already block that numbers actively.

Calling the UK Jersey number from my Austrian Three mobile worked without problems too.

Regarding the support, you can not write SMS with the UK number as a sender and people should send SMS also to the Estonian number. I denied a call with a message to the UK number, which went through immediately and also arrived on the xxsim. It seems, you can receive SMS on the UK number but can not send it with the UK number.

Update: UK mobile number can not be reached by Skype! It only says "Contact blocked by Skype"

BK

Thanks for the extensive testing.

Have you tried calling the Salt customer service to file an issue with them?

So at the end the Airbalticcard seems to win hands down cause:
they provide a UK number on request and for free. The number has the same characteristics.
They allow sms sending from the website.
The balance expires after 2 years.
You can choose your own caller id (must be done from the mobile site though).

On the website it says the UK number is 0.50€/month?

Hi, when I asked for it months ago it was for free like the Lemonsim.

So, does this mean the website hasn't been updated, or it was free before and now isn't any more?

Thanks.

It means it was free before, on request, but now it's necessary to pay.:p

sorry that i didnt reply earlier, i was offline for some days. And our company LAN has xxsim.com blocked. haha
i can confirm it is a +4477003 number assigned.

The wholesale termination rate to Jersey is 4.11 pence a minute at the moment.

There have been proposals to reduce it in about 3 stages to close to the UK rate of 0.49 pence a minute, but these haven't yet been enacted. Some more consultations and announcements on the way, perhaps.

Isle of Man mobiles currently 1.25 pence a minute wholesale, already there for a couple of years, and continued at the last review.

Perhaps as these rates drop, the possibilities for using the incoming rate to subsidise cheap or free roaming may also recede, unless networks all over the world start reducing rates too.