Cheap Wireless Long Distance

[junkmail2002]

Hi everyone,

I am contemplating an idea, and would appreciate some feedback from business users regarding a mobile long distance service targeted at businesses. Sometimes it's hard to be impartial :)

Several questions:
- How much of a concern are your mobile LD costs?
- How far would you go to reduce them? (i.e. calling card, callback service, etc.)
- Would you even consider using a different LD provider for your mobile?
- What percentage savings would motivate you to sign up?
- and last but not least... do you use a Blackberry?

Thanks in advance!

[junkmail2002]

How about this?

I would really appreciate some feedback from enterpreneurs.... Thanks folks.

http://www.startelecom.ca/images/LD_Savings1.png (http://www.startelecom.ca)
http://www.startelecom.ca/images/LD_Savings2.png (http://www.startelecom.ca)

[matdwyer]

- How much of a concern are your mobile LD costs?
Huge - but over 75% of my LD costs are for receiving calls outside my area code

- How far would you go to reduce them? (i.e. calling card, callback service, etc.)
I'm a true RFD'er, I'd go pretty far

- Would you even consider using a different LD provider for your mobile?
I tend to feel those services come across as sketchy - but depending on how the business looked and how the processes was I might switch

- What percentage savings would motivate you to sign up?
It would have to be at least 50% - more than $5 or $10 a month

- and last but not least... do you use a Blackberry?
I do, but as a secondary phone - iphone as primary


Your system there looks interesting, but likely too "complex" for some business owners - only a technical business owner would jump on it, in my mind - unless your personal pitch is perfect.

Good luck

[junkmail2002]

Hey matdwyer,

I am not sure if you mean roaming or LD. You should not pay anything for receiving calls outside my area code

can you clarify please?

thx

[matdwyer]

Hey matdwyer,

I am not sure if you mean roaming or LD. You should not pay anything for receiving calls outside my area code

can you clarify please?

thx

I have a Toronto number.

When someone calls my Toronto number, and I'm in Montreal, the phone tries to connect with me in Toronto, cant find me, so goes to Montreal and finds me there - the caller pays local, but I get charged long distance.

I know this occurs on Fido, Bell, & Rogers (telus too I'm assuming).

It has nothing to do with roaming - roaming is using other networks towers (such as at&t towers in the states)

Hope you look this stuff up before going in on this :lol:

[junkmail2002]

check your bill. You will pay roaming, may show up under airtime or roaming headings, even when you are on the same network (Rogers, Fido, whatever) but outside of your 'home' area.

LD only applies to outgoing calls.

Bet you $10.

[MK-com]

If you only need Canadian LD (and not to the USA or Intl), then you can usually get a pretty good package from retentions. I'm not sure about Telus or Bell, but with Fido, I get 1000 Canadian LD minutes for $10 a month.

[junkmail2002]

1000 Long Distance or even airtime minutes for $10 seems very high (even for Fido), are you sure it's not 100 LD or 1000 local minutes?

[matdwyer]

check your bill. You will pay roaming, may show up under airtime or roaming headings, even when you are on the same network (Rogers, Fido, whatever) but outside of your 'home' area.

LD only applies to outgoing calls.

Bet you $10.

http://www.fido.ca/web/content/faq/faq_long_distance#q2

Q: Do I pay for receiving long-distance calls?

A: No. You pay only for the airtime you use, as with a local call. If you receive a long-distance call outside of your local calling area, charges will apply (rates vary depending on where the call originates from).

http://www.fido.ca/web/page/portal/Fido/Longdistance

Outside your local calling area (Anywhere in Canada) Airtime Long Distance
Making a local call √
Making a long-distance call √ √
Receiving a local or long-distance call √ √

You can paypal me the $10, matdwyer@gmail.com :cheesygri

[Djayjay]

matdwyer@gmail.com[/email] :cheesygri

Nice one:lol:

[junkmail2002]

matdwyer, how about $10 credit towards our LD service :lol:?

[matdwyer]

lol, don't worry about it, I'll survive. If you need a website done, I'll give you a $10 credit and then you can give me an extra $10 :lol:

Good luck with your business!

[matdwyer]

Op,

A few questions about the Star Telecom service you mentioned:

Wouldn't I get charged data minutes for calling via the Star Telecom Dialer service?? After all, isn't it just a glorified VOIP offer?

If it IS VOIP, then how reliable is the sound quality? For business purposes, the quality on VOIP via landlines is not yet acceptable----so, how acceptable would a cell voip service be-----after all, we all know that cell service itself (without the added VOIP layer!) is already only acceptable but far from perfect.

It appears to be a call back system - not voip. The data you'd be charged would be minimal, as it would just be a few kb to initiate the callback.

[junkmail2002]

dealon, whether they declare it or not, most major carriers use VoIP to transport voice traffic internationally and even nationally.

VoIP is not inherently bad or good, it depends on how it is implemented. If you are using VoIP over your home internet connection while someone else is downloading files and you do not have QoS set up, the quality will be affected.

However, in a controlled (carrier) environment where VoIP traffic can be controlled and managed properly you should not be able to tell the difference.

And no, Star Telecom (http://www.startelecom.ca) in Canada is not related to Star Telecom in the US or Australia...