Nevermind Mobile Web 2.0, you've got to admire Irishman Pat Phelan's 2 recent mobile services: AllFreeCalls.net and now Roam4Free. The former is a complicated workaround that makes it possible for USA residents to call an Iowa-based phone number and from there make free international calls. Unfortunately I can't take advantage of this, as I'm not a US resident. But it's a brilliant workaround, even if the way it was set up is difficult to comprehend. I loved Mike Arrington's conclusion: "If anyone has read Catch 22 - this makes about as much sense as Milo’s scheme where he bought eggs for 7 cents and sold them at a profit for 5 cents." One of my all-time favorite books -- hmmm, perhaps we can call this Mobile 22? :-)
Not content with AllFreeCalls.net, Pat Phelan has now come up with another mobile Web hack. This one is called Roam4Free and it enables travelers to buy cheap roaming access on their mobile phones. This is done via the purchase of a Roam4Free SIM card, which enables users to receive calls for free in over 65 countries and make calls for "up to 90% discount on standard mobile rates". You can use this in over 115 countries, claims the website. What's more, it works "on most mobile phones and virtually any network across the globe." A Roam4free SIM costs €20, which includes €5 of calling credit.
The one thing Roam4Free appears to lack currently is a US connection, but according to Shel Israel "Pat vows that the service will expand to include the US and other countries over the next few months."
I wonder what is next on Pat's To Do list - breaking down the walled gardens of Telco Mobile Web content perhaps? :-) Via Web 2.0 Ireland.
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The problem with Roam4Free is that calling that number costs the caller at least 23 euro cents a min (using Skype) ....
So what it is actually doing is free roaming for the receiver of the call in exchange for very expensive calls for the callers.
Not helping me if I want my family to call me .....
Posted by: hombrelobo | January 24, 2007 2:47 AM
I have actually been looking into getting a SIM card for a trip that my wife and I are planning in a couple of months to Italy.
I was just checking out the Roam4free and they seem to be decent, but I have found that the rates for http://www.cellularabroad.com are actually alot cheaper I think.
Although it appears that you get the actual SIM card from Roam4Free for a lot cheaper. So I guess I would have to look at how much I plan on using the phone while over there. Cause using the more expensive talk time through Roam4Free it may still be cheaper in the long run as I do not foresee myself going to Italy all the time to warrant the bigger price for the SIM card.
Posted by: Gigadafud | January 24, 2007 6:28 AM
Many thanks for the mention.
If you dont mind I would like to address two comments above.
1.Our number is 21c on Jajah, it makes a huge difference to the 1-2 dollars per minute that you would be paying to speak to your family whilst roaming. We will be offering USA and UK fixed numbers ported to the users Sim shortly.
2.On cellularabroad all they are doing is selling you a local sim, I can buy that on ebay preloaded with 50 euro credit for 50 euro but it only works in Italy so if you visit 10 countries you need 10 sim cards and then your friends need to ring Italy mobile which is the same cost as a call to our number.You can visit numerous countries and keep the same number with roam4free.
many thanks for the comments and sorry for the long post
Posted by: Pat Phelan | January 24, 2007 7:20 AM
#3
Ah, good point, I was not aware of this. Thank you for that bit of information.
I will have to run this buy some of the Exec's here at work as they are traveling overseas more and more and this would cut costs a lot.
Posted by: Gigadafud | January 24, 2007 8:26 AM
please send the software
Posted by: jacky | February 4, 2007 4:36 AM