International calling plan recommendations

[TiggrToo]

I've been using Tel3 here in the US for what feels like forever to call my mum in the UK and, whilst serviceable, I'm not totally impressed when the call quality on many of the calls.

Anyone here in the USA who's got any other recommendations as to what they like to use to make international calls via access numbers? Not looking to change my cell plan, just looking to see if it's time to dump Tel3 and choose another provider.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Is there any reason why you have not considered SkypeOut? They are the longtime de facto VoIP gold standard for well over a decade.

From a brief scan of their website it appears that calls to UK landlines/mobiles is 1.5p/minute.

I assume your mother does not have a smartphone nor computer otherwise you'd be doing free Skype-to-Skype calls already.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Calling with a Google Voice number is $0.01 per minute to the UK for landlines. We use it for that all the time. A GV number is "free" and you can prepay (and auto-refill) in $10 increments.

If you call a number with GV via cell it dials a third number and connects you to your target…and the iPhone's call history shows the third party number. If you set GV to use wifi/data the calls show up in the iPhone's Phone app as "Voice Audio" calls with the actual target's name…nice because you can redial without opening the GV app. Either way the GV cost is the same.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Calling with a Google Voice number is $0.01 per minute to the UK for landlines. We use it for that all the time. A GV number is "free" and you can prepay (and auto-refill) in $10 increments.

If you call a number with GV via cell it dials a third number and connects you to your target…and the iPhone's call history shows the third party number. If you set GV to use wifi/data the calls show up in the iPhone's Phone app as "Voice Audio" calls with the actual target's name…nice because you can redial without opening the GV app. Either way the GV cost is the same.

I've done this myself. The audio quality is pretty poor in some places; hopefully Google has improved this since I last tried it a few years ago.

GV VoIP calls to a US number are very good though (and free) and undetectable from a pure cellular voice call.

Note that you can place direct dial GV calls with the Google Hangouts app. I do this when I travel abroad and need to call someone back in the USA.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'd say the GV call quality is fine over 90% of the time.

The Hangouts app is unnecessary now since the GV app added the data option.

I think the occasional use for overseas back to US calls isn't a problem but they'll notice if you're using it a lot for that. I VPN back to the states for those.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

The Hangouts app is unnecessary now since the GV app added the data option.

I think the occasional use for overseas back to US calls isn't a problem but they'll notice if you're using it a lot for that. I VPN back to the states for those.

Brian, thank you for these tips.

I'm a longtime GV user (since the GrandCentral days prior to Google's acquisition). I must have been dozing when Google added the data option for calling.

I don't call the US often while abroad but it is helpful to be aware about Google's oversight. I have a VPN anyhow.

I use Google Voice heavily for texting though since I only give out my Google Voice number.