Making an international call from a cell phone is usually the most expensive option available. But it isn’t hard. You just need to know which cellular services actually work for you.
If you are stuck with Verizon Wireless, for instance, you will pay 49 cents a minute to call Mexico. France? That will set you back $1.49 a minute. Verizon does offer international calling plans. They exist. You pay an extra monthly fee for discounted rates.
You can get better rates by buying international calling cards. These work with cell phones just like they do with landlines. Dial a local access number. Enter the PIN. Dial the number in standard international format. Simple.
Travelers who try to use a U.S. cell phone abroad find themselves paying extremely expensive rates. Even dialing local numbers in the host country costs a fortune. Why? Because your U.S. phone is roaming on a foreign cellular network. You are charged at international roaming rates.
The Unlocked GSM Solution
One way to avoid these charges is to buy an unlocked GSM cell phone. GSM is the standard in Europe. It is harder to find in the United States. Finding an unlocked GSM phone in the U.S. is even harder.
Most American GSM phones are “locked” by the service provider. This means the phone only works with one service like Verizon. Unlocked GSM phones let you remove the SIM card. You replace it with another SIM from a different provider.
Many websites offer cell-phone unlocking services. The process usually involves entering a special code into your phone.
Buying Local SIM Cards
What does this mean for travelers who want to make local or international calls? If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can buy a new SIM card for each country you visit.
In Germany, you can walk into a local cellular store. Buy a $20 SIM card with prepaid minutes. Put the German SIM in your phone. You are now charged like a local subscriber. You do not need to buy a new phone.
VoIP Services for Cell Phones
There are new international cell-phone services like MaxRoam. They work like VoIP for cell phones. Here is the mechanics:
- You buy a special SIM card from MaxRoam. You choose a phone number in the United States, France, England, or Ireland for free.
- You can pay for up to 50 more local numbers in over 40 other countries. These call your same cell phone. International friends and colleagues can call you for cheap.
- When you dial a number and press “send,” the MaxRoam system finds the cheapest way to route the call. It sends the call over the Internet. It calls you back a few seconds later once a connection is made.
A service like MaxRoam is essentially an international callback service.
