Calling Someone's Mobile? Halve the cost article discussion

redux

Oh, apologies, it lists 4 UK networks on their website, but I didn't check them all. I dialled an O2 number earlier in local format, and just managed an Orange one. Maybe it's just too busy sometimes, as the number itself wasn't reachable a bit earlier, or you get about 30 seconds silence then cut off (I haven't checked the bill yet)

redux

hurrah wrote: »

... because if it did,you could use it direct from your BT Line at weekday evenings at 3.95p a minute to get cheap calls to most UK Mobiles.

I forgot to point out before - the descriptions on Planet Talk's site are either weekdays, or weekdays and evenings, so I don't think this will be available evenings

joelb1

I currently run a business from home and am constantly diverting my home phone through to my mobile when out. This is costing a fortune as I then pay for every call that comes in (-the home to mobile part of the call.) I need a provider that will cut costs but be reliable as I can't afford to lose any calls. Only a provider with that allows you to dial prefix (-to access their service) before dialing the required number would be suitable.
Anybody have any recommendations?
Thanks,
joel.

Heinz

This has been discussed as few times before and, I think, the best option suggested is THIS.

stug59

Joel,
Get a Shareplan from any of the 4 main providers with 2 SIM cards. Put one SIM in the mobile and the other in a Burnside gateway or FCT device with follow me. You can pick these boxes up for a few hundred quid or for a tenner monthly from certain providers. You now get unlimited free diverts to your mobile for the life of the contract. You also get cheaper calls to other mobiles from the landline. This is because it is cheaper to call a mobile from a mobile and you are fooling your home phone into thinking it is a mobile. The device recognises mobile numbers and sends them over the SIM. All other calls will automatically route over the normal landline, which you are probably paying talk talk or someone similar a tenner or less monthly for the UK 01 and 02 calls. Base the mobile Shareplan on the total minutes you use from the mobile, plus the minutes to mobiles used from the landline. So if you use 500 minutes from the mobile and 500 minutes calling mobiles from the landline, you would need 1000 minutes monthly.

Examples - 2 users on 24 month plan
T-Mobile Business 1 Plan 1000 - £63 monthly or 6.3ppm
Orange Venture 1100 (1540 minutes) -£70 monthly or 4.5ppm
Voda Small Business 1000 (1500 minutes) - £120 or 8ppm

The Voda one gives you unlimited free UK 01 and 02 calls as well, plus free calls to Voda business users, so the true rate is far less if you take full advantage.

I hope this is of some help.

redux

But those rates are hardly any cheaper than using callthrough services, and you said the unit costs a few hundred.

It might be useful for people making a lot of diversions of their landline to a mobile, or is perhaps more likely in a company environment making a lot of calls *, but otherwise one mobile on a better tariff might have rates at 3 to 5 pence a minute or so


* don't forget that BT has business packages with cheap or flat rate mobile calls from landlines

gg_4488

Hi there,

I have read the article about calling a mobile number from a house phone. As calling to different mobile networks (3, Vodafone, Orange, O2, etc..) have different charges, does anybody know if there is a website (or any other way) to find out the network provider of a given mobile number? I understand that people can migrate to different networks and maintain the same mobile number. Martin, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a "Networkchecker" tool that can provide the Network from a mobile number? Although, I am not sure how that can be done since the mobile numbers are not published.

I just find it frustrated to phone mobile numbers from home and not being able to know what network I am calling to, thus not being able to work around the cheapest charge.

Thanks,
Gg

Heinz

gg_4488 wrote: »

I just find it frustrated to phone mobile numbers from home and not being able to know what network I am calling to, thus not being able to work around the cheapest charge.

Welcome to the MSE forums gg_4488.

Why go to all the hassle of finding out which network you're dialling? Why not just use the MSE UK Callchecker to select a calls provider offering a cheap rate regardless of the network on which the mobile happens to (now) be?

I use 18185 myself because charging only starts upon connection but others use one of the gateway providers to save the extra 1p/minute during the week (18185 is unbeatable at weekends).

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/mobile-numbers/weekday

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/mobile-numbers/weekend

angelatgraceland

When I dial mobile numbers from a landline I use discount dial. Its 6p per minute to all networks.

Heinz

angelatgraceland wrote: »

When I dial mobile numbers from a landline I use discount dial. Its 6p per minute to all networks.

If you're happy to use a gateway provider, there are 3 offering 5p/minutre rates in the MSE Callchecker (see link above).