How I eskyped the mobile operators

Thursday, 2. November 2006, 13:05:58

Key quote

Nice, it worked! Your new balance will appear in Skype.

Mobile calling and messaging rates seem excessive to me. Especially the international ones (which are also less reliable). To add insult to injury, roaming fees across Europe have historically been based on fantasy costs.

Enter Skype, a VoIP software and homonym eBay-owned Luxembourg-headquartered company and its proprietary peer-to-peer network.

Sixteen days ago I decided to buy Skype credits, and start calling Serbia at more decent rates. Here is how the tariffs look for conversations from Romania to Serbia:

Phone call	Serbia – Mobile		Serbia – Belgrade
Phone call	EUR	EUR (incl. VAT)	EUR	EUR (incl. VAT)
Romtelecom ²	0.390	0.464	0.220	0.262
RT weekend ²	0.340	0.405	0.170	0.202
RDS.Tel ²	0.249	0.297	0.207	0.246
AstralCard	0.270	0.321	0.150	0.179
TelCard	0.310	0.372	0.240	0.288
Internet Cafe	0.310	0.369	0.150	0.179
Vodafone ¹	0.627	0.746	0.627	0.746
Orange ¹	0.470	0.559	0.313	0.373
Cosmote ¹	0.400	0.476	0.400	0.476
ZAPP ¹	0.227	0.270	0.149	0.177
Jajah	0.245	0.282	0.147	0.177
Skype	0.209+ 0.039 cf	0.240+ 0.045 cf	0.093+ 0.039 cf	0.107+ 0.045 cf
WengoPhone	0.184	0.220	0.084	0.100

SMS	Serbia – Mobile
SMS	USD	USD (incl. VAT)
Vodafone ¹	0.150	0.179
Orange ¹	0.150	0.179
Cosmote ¹	0.191	0.227
ZAPP ¹	0.130	0.155
Clickatell	0.056	0.056
Jajah	0.066	0.066
Skype	0.097	0.112
WengoPhone	0.116	0.139

NOTES:

These tables are general, with mobile operator (¹) tariffs based on a 4 USD+VAT subscription and fixed operator (²) tariffs based on an 8 EUR+VAT subscription.
There are actually cheaper international tariffs to the fixed phone network of a country's capital city
More importantly, when one expects to communicate a lot with a particular destination at particular times, one usually has several options to lower costs
I ultimately pay in RON, so the as the exchange rate varies, so do my actual costs.
VAT considered was 15% for Luxembourg, 19% for Romania, 20% for Republic of Moldova

The whole process was quite complicated:

17 October: I make an account with MoneyBookers.com, in order to buy Skype credits with credit card. As MoneyBookers needs to verify my Romanian credit card, they debit a random amount from it
20 October: I remember to go get the bank statement, but can't make it
30 October: same
31 October: Bank clerk says "2.58 USD". MoneyBookers says "You have entered the incorrect amount. Do NOT try and guess the amount!"
2 November: Another bank clerk says "2.56 USD". MoneyBookers says "Your credit/debit card is now verified!". Skype says "Nice, it worked! We have started to process your order". I make my first international call through Skype
3 November: I send my first international SMS through Skype. I finish posting this.

The orthodox 31 October postSee my widgets

Comments

I'm using skype too.

Username: ramunas_ltu
just in case

By Ramunas, # 3. November 2006, 17:26:20

In case I want to hear that nice long U in Ramūnas ?

By dantesoft, # 3. November 2006, 17:29:38

Very interesting. Sure I use Skype, and I've actually started liking it enough to begin recruiting friends and family. Quite a change from the initial "oh, whatever, another messaging app fad" attitude

By hallvors, # 20. November 2006, 19:40:43

I use Skype too , although in Canada they don't have "Skype In" yet. (When someone call call you from a mobile or land line). But I can talk for free on the computer anywhere in Canada and the US, and I can phone a landline from my computer. I find the sound isn't always that great, but hey, it's free! (for now

)

By sanshan, # 25. November 2006, 18:41:14

I hate that the Linux version of skype doesn't have SMS yet. I need to sms my gf who is in Bulgaria but i guess I need to find a web service that are compatible with the Bulgaria and Romania mobile carriers.

SMS is not really VoIP, so I would like to have alternatives on this aspect.

By Jzarecta, # 18. April 2007, 18:25:44

If SMS then Clickatell. If you need more info about affordable international SMS/voice/chat options, I'm your man

By dantesoft, # 18. April 2007, 18:38:18

did u try jajah community?

www.jajah.com
it's phone2phone and sometimes better than skype, the person you call does not need a phone (unless you want the call to be completely free and the location allows for it)

Cu placere

By freerhymes, # 28. May 2007, 06:29:21

I was just about to delete the comment as spam

As you can see in the table above, I did look into Jajah and for ROU-SRB, it's cheaper to use Skype, although the web call does add some flexibility. I missed the

the person you call does not need a phone

part. Can you post the link ?

By dantesoft, # 28. May 2007, 06:38:24

holy ghost, do I look like a spammer? Did u see my picture?:-D

By freerhymes, # 28. May 2007, 06:44:09

I use a service similar to JahJah, is called Rebtel although the main difference is that they generate virtual numbers so you are completely take the PC out of the equation.

I dont think it will replace skype but it can complement it, basically you have a bunch of virtual numbers so you avoid the step from Jah Jah on having to plug your number on the virtual interface.

1. you add your international contact list to your Rebtel account.
2. Save on your cellphone the new virtual numbers
3. Call them up

the virtual numbers are from your country so the calls at least become national long distance or local calls if you happen to live in a relevant area code.

The rates become more expensive than skype since you pay the skype-like rate but you also pay the airtime to your carrier. The advantage is that you forget about having slow connection, also become wireless.

... and yes I realize I sound like a commercial. Sorry

By Jzarecta, # 28. May 2007, 16:03:53