BT SmartTalk Closure

Stompa

I've only just spotted this:

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/40735/~/bt-smarttalk-closure-and-withdrawal-of-service

littleboo

Its a shame, was using it earlier this month when staying at a place without any mobile signal and needed to talk to insurer

Supatramp

It was a good system, but with one major flaw. If you changed your mobile, you had to de-register on the old phone, before re-registering on your new one.


I only used it when phoning the UK from the Dom Rep, but by the time I was going again, my old mobile had stopped working!! Phoning BT customer services was a waste of time as they didn't know what you were talking about!!!



Whatsapp is a simpler service to use.

d123

Supatramp wrote: »

Whatsapp is a simpler service to use.

Does WhatsApp now allow calls to landlines and other mobiles?

Supatramp

I think it's mobiles only.

wongataa

d123 wrote: »

Does WhatsApp now allow calls to landlines and other mobiles?

Only to another phone with Whatsapp installed.

d123

wongataa wrote: »

Only to another phone with Whatsapp installed.

That was my understanding, being suggested as an alternative to an app that allowed calls to normal phones made me think I’d missed an update.

WhatsApp in its current form isn’t really a direct alternative then.

Supatramp

d123 wrote: »

That was my understanding, being suggested as an alternative to an app that allowed calls to normal phones made me think I’d missed an update.

WhatsApp in its current form isn’t really a direct alternative then.

So what is a direct alternative?

d123

Supatramp wrote: »

So what is a direct alternative?

The closest I can think of would be to sign up with a VOIP provider like Sipgate Basic which gives you a standard 01/02 phone number, and then using the SIP settings on an Android smartphone (or the CSipSimple or Zoiper app) use that service on the phone.

Incoming calls are free and outgoing UK landline calls are 1.1p a minute and it works perfectly over mobile data or WiFi.

Supatramp

d123 wrote: »

The closest I can think of would be to sign up with a VOIP provider like Sipgate Basic which gives you a standard 01/02 phone number, and then using the SIP settings on an Android smartphone (or the CSipSimple or Zoiper app) use that service on the phone.

Incoming calls are free and outgoing UK landline calls are 1.1p a minute and it works perfectly over mobile data or WiFi.

But that's not an alternative, as ST was completely free!!

DoaM

Supatramp wrote: »

But that's not an alternative, as ST was completely free!!

No it wasn't - calls were charged as if you were dialling from your home phone. So unless you had an Anytime plan (or placed calls within the time period covered by your phone plan) then you would have been charged anyway.


Unless I'm missing something?