Making international calls using a mobile phone can be extremely expensive. Many mobile companies charge a per-minute charge in addition to the regular charges on international calls. Computer applications and calling cards can be used to reduce the cost of international calls.
There are several different applications that are available to make free or cheap international calls. For smart phones you can download VOIP and make wireless calls without the minute-by-minute charge. Skype and Vonage Mobile are also popular applications for smart phone including Droids, Blackberries and IPhones. These applications can be used to make calls without the minute-by-minute charge. These can normally be downloaded without a computer straight to your mobile phone. Several websites have information on how to download and operate.
When purchasing a calling card to make
cheap calls to India, make sure you read the fine print. Some companies will only cover certain regions though these may be cheaper per minute but when you read the fine print there may be additional fees and tariffs that will increase the per-minute charges. They may advertise that you will be getting 85 minutes but it may only be 60 minutes and the call quality may be inferior. Choosing companies that you may be familiar with might be the best option as they have up front pricing and superior call quality. That does not mean that all discount calling cards are bad - when purchasing a discount
international calling card, purchase a small number of minutes at first to verify the call quality that they provide.
Most calling cards require a pin which you set up the first time that you call and they will normally prompt you to add more minutes when you are close to running out of minutes. Staying in touch nowadays is much easier and cheaper than ever before.
