International Calls to India

Tech, TV, Mobile, Internet and Geek Corner
1
Hi,

I was wondering how people (espacially indians) make phone calls back home. Do we have some calling cards or special numbers etc like we have in UK/Ireland. The international calls from normal fixed line costs around 2 CHF per minute which is way too high. I am looking for alternatives as i have a habit of calling home a lot

Thx.

2
Download and use skype (skype.com). You can load your account with money and calls to India are pretty inexpensive (in USD it is 18 cents/min, cheaper to big cities). Free to the US until end of year after which it is 1-3 cents/min. Call quality (with my 6MBPS connection and earlier 2 MBPS) is extremely good. I have used it to call Switzerland, UK, US, India, China and Singapore and almost always use it at airports with internet...the best cell phone ever!

Yahoo also has a paid calling feature, but call quality is not like a phone (skype is).

Can you also subscribe to some local VoIP in CH?

3
Skype is a great option if you have a PC and don't mind 'talking' on a PC

However, for certain destinations, India included, it is not the best option.

check out Helvatel

CHF 0.18 a minute, and you use your regular fixed line phone.

There are, I believe, calling cards and pre-selection options which cost slightly less, but you wouldn't want the bother

4
Best rates to India are available at

www.helvatel.ch

www.raptel.ch

5
have a look also for the VoIP thread, this might help.

6
The other thing you can do on Skype is set up a local number where the people you talk to are, so they can call you at that number (which will reach you wherever you are with your computer) toll free.

To set up a number in the US costs 30euros. I'm not sure how much India would cost, or if you can do that there, but then you wouldn't have to do all the calling

7
ITGuy, try the FLASH calling card. I had found this card to offer some of the best rates to Asia and Mexico where I call mostly as I actually like to have the full "phone voice" on the other side. A 20 CHF card can buy you between 180-300 minutes

8
An Indian friend of mine recomends www.10787.ch

9
those two 'store-fronts' are actually one and the same operation ...!

as is 10787.ch

10
Hello all,

I am new to forums. I am searching some other option to make calls to India cheap or free if possible rather than using calling cards . I have searched in Google, I found this thread but unfortunately its 6 years old. In those 6 years world has changed a lot and technologies too. Can anyone suggests me a good and easy option? I am fed with calling cards as for that we have to dail such a long long numbers.I want to make calls through Internet. I am living in Geneva Region.Thanks for the help in advance.

11
I use Rebtel (rebtel.com)

Calls are 0.017 $ per minute.

You are connected via a local number. So you have to add the local phone call cost to above cost.

For me the local number is free which works our pretty cheap

12
If you are going to be here for more than a year. Then get an orange 1 year contract.(cheapest one 35 chf per month - might get good phones also and 1gb data download and 3 local number calls free ). U can add one of the voip number ( I use callingcredit.com ) as ur free number. Calls are really cheap. I was checking calls to India, it comesaround .007 euro per minute.

BR,

VV

13
Could I just steal this thread to ask what is the best way to call CH from India ? (my daughter is going for 6 months)Thanks

14
I have been using action voip ( http://www.actionvoip.com ) for past 3 years and I am very satisfied with the quality and service. You can download the app on your PC or Mobile (iPhone, BB, Andriod, Windows). You only require a Wifi or 3G connection to make calls to India. The cost per minute is CHF 0.012 (equvalent to 70 paise per minute).

15
and does that work from India?

16
Vivacomm India plans:

http://www.vivacomm.co.in/indiaplans.htm

WorldPhone is another possible solution:

http://www.worldphone.in/listof-countries.html

To CH it is Rs0.95 per minute to landlines or Mobile.

As a local CH alternative:

I would subscribe to Switzernet ( private or prepaid plans ) and pass the credentials ( and possibly the hardware ) to the trusted person in India since calls to CH landlines are "free".

17
you can try the telelineflat, just get it charged for 20 fr and can talk for 1 month unlimited..to many destination

18
Yes that also works from India as well.

19
Hello All,

Thank you very much for all the suggestions. I got so many options. But I also want that the, thing which I will use can work from anywhere and not only from Switzerland. I need a Switzerland Landline number.Calling from Internet is possible only from computer or we can do it from phones as well? Is there any option for that? Because I often visit to different places for my job.

Thank you In advance.

20
Hi,

Lyca mobile is the best. Its a pay as you go SIM. Its the cheapest option plus you will also have a different swiss number. I think the prices to India is 20 rappen as a connection charge + 0.01 for every min.

Here's the link : http://www.lycamobile.ch/home/en

You can recharge it at "Interdiscount" and most of the Asian stores

Regards

SN