Hi I will be in Kolkata for a month and during my stay I will want to make and receive non VOIP/Non Skype based calls to my home in the US. Does anyone have some suggestions for me, which is the most cost effective cellular service provider in Kolkatta? I have an Android GSM handset which I can use so I just need a SIM card only or do I need to buy a new phone in India? Also, I would like to know, call charges from India to US Ashley.
Hi You can use your same Android phone in India and only a SIM card would be required, I am in New Delhi and I am using Vodafone connection which provides me 1 paisa per second call to any US and Canada number, Vodafone offers many bonus cards (discounted tariff card), I am using Vodafone ISD Bonus Card: USA/Canada @ 1p/sec which comes for additional cost of INR. 58.
Airtel has a similar offer for Rs57 for 28 days and you get 1 paisa per sec calls to USA and Canada. For those who don't want to keep doing recharges can get an application like Ringo where you don't have to get any recharges done.
I tried Ringo and it works out a lot costlier then getting the USA and Canada recharge for Rs57 from Airtel. Nothing beats being able to dial directly from your mobile phone without having to worry about the bills.
I have been using Airtel prepaid with Rs57 special recharge which reduces the calling rate to 1 paisa per min. Voice quality is way better then what you would get on a voip call. There only drawback is that there is a limit to the number of hours you can call and after that you will get charged the normal rates of Rs5-6 per min or whatever the going rates are. I have never reached the limit but I believe it is more then 5 hours per 28 days or something like that. Ask the mobile shop which doing the recharge to make sure.
In order for a separate sim to work however, you need to make sure your carrier has "unlocked" your phone. It costs around 30 dollars to do but it lets you use any sim that fits into the phone if you do go through the process.
Here in the UK it might be a little different but if I want to make international calls from abroad, all I have to do is contact my network operator and they can un bar my device for the amount of time I require. Obviously the price of the call is significantly more expensive but if it's only for a short period of time it's easy enough to cope with.
Can I ask why you want non VOIP calls? I ask because there are services which perfectly emulate regular calling but are done through the internet or cell network, but are still super cheap. I use such a service for international business, and it works for me.
