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One of the greatest advances that came with the introduction of cell phones was free long distance. It was so strange at the time, too. I often fretted about calling another area code, as I would with my parents’ landline, even though I knew that I wouldn’t be charged for it. Another area that has made some progress is international calling. Rates can be much lower on your cell phone for international calls…if you know how to use it. So let’s take a look at international calling.

Airtime counts!

This is perhaps the greatest disclaimer of all when calling internationally with your cell phone. You might see some attractive rates posted on carrier websites. They might actually look like they’re lower than the carrier’s domestic calling rates — that is, a call to the UK might be advertised around 10 or 12 cents per minute with some carriers. This is not all you need to know, though.

These are the rates in addition to your normal airtime rates. So if you have a 450 minute plan and are placing a call to London, you have to bear in mind both your plan minutes and the international rate. A 45-minute call will cost you, at 12 cents per international minute, $5.40, plus the 45-minute reduction from your monthly plan limits.

International calling rates are going to vary by carrier and country. Check your carrier’s home page to view the rates for each country. This is really the first step on your way to calling internationally.

The second step is to find out if your carrier has any special instructions for international calling. For instance, AT&T has a service called World Connect, which lowers the cost of international calling by charging you a flat monthly fee. Check with your carrier to see if they offer any programs like this which might make your international calling experience cheaper.

011 + country code

Once you’ve found the rate for the country you wish to call, the next step is to find the country code. Without this number, you won’t be able to place your call — it’s just like an area code, except it identifies a country, not a region of the U.S. The code to call the U.S. from international grounds is 0 (might be more than one zero), plus 1 and the * sign.

The first set of digits to remember when dialing internationally is 011. That will precede all outgoing international calls from the U.S. Next comes the three digit country code you got from your carrier’s website. Country Calling Codes provides a quick, easy reference, too. Then add the number of your international friend or family member, and voila! International call outgoing.

Alternate routing services

Sometimes, rates are through the roof with a carrier’s international calling plan. With AT&T’s international calling program you have to pay a $3.99 monthly fee, and then airtime and international rate on top of that. In addition, they charge a different rate for calls to landlines and to mobile phones.

These rates can be frustrating. To circumvent them, however, services like AI Telephone have been created. They offer a routing service which allows you to enjoy international calling for your airtime, plus a lower fee than the carriers will provide you. This is done because these intermediary companies route their calls via the Internet, using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Just to take one comparison, a call to China from and AT&T cell phone will cost 15 cents per minute to a landline, and 18 cents per minute to a mobile phone, plus AT&T airtime, plus the $3.99 monthly fee. With AIT, it will cost your normal airtime, plus 2.5 cents per minute. So you can see, the potential for savings is great.

Falling rates soon?

A few weeks ago, we talked about Mobile VoIP, and how carriers are looking to consolidate their networks by treating voice as data (as it should be). Once they get all of their services onto one radio frequency, their networks should become more efficient, hence cost them less money. The idea is that they’ll pass the buck to the consumer.

One aspect this could affect is international calling. If voice calls are transmitted via Internet channels, then the cost of international calling should be reduced. This is partly evidenced by the middlemen like AIT, who are already using VoIP to make international calling cheaper.

For now, though, this is what we have with international calling from your cell phone. The real key is making sure of the rates and programs your provider offers. This is best for infrequent calls, since you won’t have to rack up a bill for a third party like AIT. Once you know the rates and programs of your carrier, you’re literally a few finger taps away from international calling.

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