Who for international calls now?

[andygrif]

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be doing some consultancy work for an American company which is going to mean plenty of phone calls.

I thought I'd sign up to one of these calling plans that allows you to call an 0800 number then dial the US number you need to cut costs. The two that sprang to mind were Tele 2 and OneTel. I had an inkling that OneTel had gone, but apparently Tele2 has been consumed by the Carphone Warehouse's Talk Talk too. And I can seem to find the same service on Talk Talk.

So who can I use for this? I need good quality connections, pay-as-you-go type billing would be helpful too. Oh, and if I can be making calls on it this in about 2 hours from now I'd be sweating less too!

Thanks for your help.

[Derek]

How about Skype? (http://www.skype.com/)

[andygrif]

I did think about that, thanks for the suggestion. Down the road I might try that, but really wanted a nice and simple 'traditional' telco that I don't have to use anythign except my phone on.

[Derek]

How about this lot:

http://www.telediscount.co.uk/accessnumbers.php

Seems to be fairly cheap for calls to the US.

[andygrif]

Good find sir! I like the fact that I don't have to subscribe or hand over any card/bank details...and USA is 1p per minute (that's cheaper than phoning home!)

Anyone have any experience of using them?

[danielf]

I am still using onetel at decent rates...

However, going on their website, I see they have indeed been acquired by carphone warehouse, and I see no option to create an account where you dial an 0800 number (like I do) :shrug:

[andygrif]

Yes that's exactly what I was after, but it seems they'd don't want little scraps of business anymore, just the full take-over-your-phoneline type - which is not for me.

I used Dezzo's suggestion, Telediscount, first to send a fax which took an age (but then at 1p per minute rather than 14p per minute, I wasn't too bothered) and then for my conference call this afternoon for an hour and a half.

Not bad, line is acceptable to the US, no echoes, no severe drop outs and no lines dropped. It's far cheaper than TalkTalk too, which is 5ppm to the US if I read their pricing correctly and of course you don't need to hand over money up-front (always a risk given OneTel's turbulent past) or bank details, credit cards etc.

You just dial a UK number, according to the cost of the call you'll get a different number to call...so for the US it's an 0844 charged at 1ppm at all times. Bargain!

Think I'll call my pal in Holland later (although that is the staggeringly high price of 2ppm!!!)

Thanks for your help chaps.

[Gareth]

How about this lot:

http://www.telediscount.co.uk/accessnumbers.php

Seems to be fairly cheap for calls to the US.Dezzo, I'd rep you if I could - nice link :tu:.

[AndyCambs]

Try this one too:
http://www.dialwise.co.uk/index2.php