What's your reccomondation for calling a colombian cell from the U.S.?

nueva york bombero says on May 7, 09:40:

Online typically are rip off artists. If you go to a bodega on the street, look for orbitel colombia or "hot dog" calling cards. I like orbitel the best. Never a problem, very reliable, just don't try calling between 9 and 10 PM as everyone with cell phones call at this time.

ColombianoGringo says on May 7, 09:52:

If the cell happens to be Movistar, you can buy a calling card from Movistar that costs 5 cents a minute.

tigredelnorte2 says on May 7, 10:51:

I was calling a Tigo (hola at that time) Cell from NY state. I bought $2 phone cards. The best was 42 minutes for the $2. The trick is that you get the 42 minutes if you use it all on one call. If you break it up into more than one call, you get less time. My advice is try several different $2 cards, and keep track of the minutes that you recieve. The cards are available in the small markets ( mom and pop places ) in , let´s say , less than middle class neighborhoods.

tigredelnorte2 says on May 7, 10:52:

try to use the local numbers provided on the card. If you use the 800 number, you get less time.

Frank Rizzo says on May 7, 11:12:

From my experience...

Best value... www.zaptel.com (mexico's best)... best at calls 3 plus minutes each..

Best quality... SKYPE ..buy skype out credit..and call direct from your comp. to the cell phones...the quality is at least double any calling card i've ever used..

ColombianoGringo says on May 7, 11:15:

The best quality I've experience is simply dialing direct from Sprint in the US to cells in Colombia. However, it costs something like $0.24 per minute.

Tinto (Moderator) says on May 7, 11:22:

Addition: Sprint is 17 cts per minute (plus those damn fees) to landlines in Colombia. It's a lot, but for a fairly short conversation it's worth not having to mess around with phone cards, which are a crapshoot for quality and actually receiving the advertised number of minutes. It's nice to be able to press one key (speed dial) and be in touch in two seconds.

juicerbud says on May 7, 16:28:

I swear by Orbital to call direct to a cell. I bought a bunch of $2 cards and from NJ this one is the best. Careful buying online credits (other than Skype) their rates tend to cover a 1 mile area.

bamacellist says on May 7, 16:45:

I usually don't get good quality with Skype. I have had such terrible experience with calling cards, I just won't use them. Look into rebtel at http://www.rebtel.com/en/Rates/Rates/ I have been generally happy with their connectivity and sound quality - much more so than my previous long distance company.

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

jonas says on May 7, 17:02:

so nobody is using voip service for their phonelines ?

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

bamacellist says on May 7, 18:05:

I used SunRocket voip briefly but upstream quality was terrible. This with a 384Kb upstream rate. I have had much better quality with Skype computer to computer. SkypeOut has been extremely variable in quality for me. I can't really say where the problem lies though, since there are so many variables.

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

Mike19 says on May 7, 18:40:

I called Medellin alot from ny with a calling card. It was a general card for $5 bucks. If you are going to call alot check how much it would cost you for international calls on yout cell phone plan.

Frank Rizzo says on May 7, 19:00:

Most of the calls we make are SKYPE to SKYPE free calls....we've got T1 in the US ..and the new DSL from EMcali (2000/1000) in colombia....works flawless...in fact the cali service is faster than the T1 line in the US....amazing !

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:11:

Yeah, Frank, but you don't really need anything near a full T for Skype. I only have a 200MB cable connection and use SkypeOut computer to computer, or computer to cell or landline with generally excellant results. And the same on WiFi at hotels from my laptop (showing a 56KB connection).

Mostly the same with my Skype-In number. It is a Pennsylvania, A/C 717 number, which out-calls to my computer, or my Panamá cell phone. Incoming calls also two cents, from the USA.

Outgoing toll free number are generally free, Worldwide, and to the U.S., tolled calls, two cents, from Panamá.

If I can remember, from my AT&T telephony days, you should only really need 9.6KB for an ADCPM phone call. But I'm not really sure how that correlates with the internet.

Frank Rizzo says on May 7, 19:20:

Oh...Sloop...I agree with that...we just got the speed..cause it was a promotion...and the T1 was installed a long time ago....

Sloop...do you use the unlimited SKYPE IN (USA number) for $38 per year??? That's what we're doing.... (i'm just asking..about the 2 cents thing)...

Also...we do a super long range cordless phone with 20 foot antenna on top of the building and houses....and you then put the long range phone with antenna on your car...and you get aobout 60km line of sight.. and you can connect this to the USB converter with the PBX line...so it operates just like a home line with skype in your car all around the city..

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:23:

It WAS $38, but I think the renewal was 60, but still invaluable if you want to continue a life, financial, and otherwise in the US.

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:24:

"Also...we do a super long range cordless phone with 20 foot antenna on top of the building and houses....and you then put the long range phone with antenna on your car...and you get aobout 60km line of sight.. and you can connect this to the USB converter with the PBX line...so it operates just like a home line with skype in your car all around the city.."

That's cool.

Frank Rizzo says on May 7, 19:25:

PM me...if you want links for the phone system....works great...

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:25:

"PBX", Private Branch Exchange, man, there's a term from the past.

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:27:

I used to do a long range, FCC registered, wireless with a 25 mile reach, with up to an "amazing" 512KB bandwidth (wasn't microwave).

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:30:

Frank Rizzo says on Wednesday May 7th, 2008 19:25:

"PM me...if you want links for the phone system....works great..."

Thanx, but I have become a hermit here in "exciting" Panamá, LOL. I drive about 10 miles per week.

sloopskipper says on May 7, 19:33:

But I drove about 50 ATMs, over about 1000 square miles with the system, with only 19.2, and 9600 bps point to point, and point to multipoint radios, in Pennsylvania, with mountain-top repeaters. The phone bill? $0.

MountainTop says on May 7, 19:42:

FYI You can't use Vonage to call cell phones in Colombia, at least for their special flat rate plans.

Frank Rizzo says on May 7, 19:43:

Good for you Sloop.....i'll love it when i don't have to drive either....ever again !!! jajajajaa

sloopskipper says on May 7, 20:13:

I don't miss that

lpdiver says on May 8, 03:25:

The gold oro cards work very well for calling landlines and cellphones. A five dollar card gives about 210 minutes.

t

"cook some rice!"

Mr. Hollywood says on May 8, 09:56:

Vonage calls Colombian cells just fine. But the price is higher than the landline calls. I think it's 18 cents per minute vs. 7.

ColombianoGringo says on May 8, 10:38:

NobelCom.com has some prepaid services that charge 12 cents a minute. They have no maintenance or other hidden fees. There price to land lines is about 3.5 cents per minute.

huskie says on May 8, 13:17:

http://www.phonecards-usa.net/calling/Card-details.jsp?name=Papi Chulo
Try this web site
Vonage is also very good
cheers

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds-"