Cheapest wifi calls to UK mobiles?

sebtomato

Hi,

I have almost no mobile signal from home, so can't really call other mobiles from home, from my mobile phone, despite the fact that I have 1000 minutes per month. I am with T-mobile, and they don't I seem to offer an app for calling, and I can't get their signal box device (that connects to broadband).

What would be the cheapest way to call UK mobile phone from my wifi connection, using an Android App?

Which UK mobile phone provider allows for minutes to be used from an app they provide?

Thanks,
Seb

NiftyDigits

O2's Tu Go...

If you are in contract, you can use LocalPhone or similar.

redux

O2 offer you TU Go, which would use inclusive minutes on a contract from O2.

I'd say Localphone, with rates of 1.5 pence + VAT a minute UK mobiles

Or maybe the MobileVoip application from the Dellmont VoIP brands, for example DialNow would be 0.7 euro cents plus VAT a minute to UK mobiles, 0.1 cents UK landlines. Sometimes the call quality is a bit variable though

There are hundreds of VoIP providers, and some generic applications which should support most of them, if you have the SIP settings

If by coincidence you happen to be thinking of a new home phone, or would consider that, look at Gigaset VoIP handsets, which can register a number of VoIP accounts at once as well as your landline. These use cordless DECT to their base set rather than wifi, with perhaps a bit more range (I've used at door of neighbour about 80 yards away), and would be on even when your wifi is off

sebtomato

Thanks, LocalPhone seems to be indeed the cheapest for calls to UK mobiles. However, the reviews/ratings of their current Android app seem to be very poor.

I still don't understand why I can get 1000 minutes per month for £10 from a mobile network (or 1p per minute), but I can't get the same from a VOIP operator with much cheaper infrastructure costs. Also, why mobile networks don't let people connect to their core infrastructure for VOIP calls, via the internet/wifi... Again, it would be so much better for them, less load on their masts etc

NFH

Free VOIP Deal charges €0.006 per minute to call UK mobiles.

RustyShackleford

I can't speak for the quality of Localphone's Android app as i never use it (damn thing always asks for the password and i've no idea what it is off-hand). I have various contacts setup with Localphone generated numbers on my mobile, and a SIP hardware phone (Yealink T28P) connected to Localphone at home.

As Localphone use standard SIP there's no reason you have to use their app; there are many SIP clients in the Google Play store and Android itself, from 2.3, has a built-in SIP client (your phone manufacturer may have removed it).

If you're only using the Localphone service at home then i'd second redux's suggestion. A hardware SIP phone is a great solution.

As for why not many (any?) VOIP providers have packages that include calls to UK mobiles that's pretty easy. Mobile Termination Rates are still above 1p/min and pretty much all VOIP providers buy blocks of minutes from wholesalers who add on their own percentage for profit. Last time i looked, a couple of years back, exact figures for landline termination rates weren't available and the best estimate i could find was around 0.3p/min with mobile termination rates around 10x that.

OFCOM has been steadily decreasing the amount mobile operators can charge and from 1st April next year it should hit its final target of 0.69p/min (probably a bit higher now due to inflation), so hopefully then we'll see VOIP providers including calls to mobiles in their bundles (and maybe we'll even get to see Google Voice then too).

sebtomato

NFH wrote: »

Free VOIP Deal charges €0.006 per minute to call UK mobiles.

As quoted on their website:
United Kingdom (main) (Mobile) SuperDeal!** £ 0.004 £ 0.005
So 0.5p per minute inc VAT, which is very cheap indeed, and a third cheaper than LocalPhone???

However, impossible to find what the ** reference to...

redux

Note that some Dellmont brands have differing rates for SIP calls.. For example DialNow that I mentioned is 0.7 c using callthrough, callback or ordinarily dialled VoIP calls in their own MobileVoip application, but 4 cents using SIP separately, as is Freevoipdeal

spookylukey

If it's close friends/family you're ringing on their mobiles and they have smartphones then why not ask them to install the (free) Viber app then you can ring them (and also text, photo msg) using wifi/3G.

I use viber to ring relatives abroad completely free of charge and the call quality is better than my landline!