DEAL 2c per minute mobile voice, no contract -- Great GoIP option...

[w1ve]

http://www.lycamobile.us/en/national-plans

2c/min USA, 1c/min to Canada on the T-Mobile network only (no roaming).
Has anyone tried them? I have some SIM cards coming.

I think this is great for a GoIP device as long as you have coverage in the area you want.

The BEST thing about this is that you do not loose your money.. As long as you make one call
every 180 days, account stays active.

 

[rossiv]

The BEST thing about this is that you do not loose your money.. As long as you make one call
every 180 days, account stays active.

I couldn't find that on the web site anywhere.
Edit: Had to dig to find the T&C

If you do not use your SIM Card to make a voice call, or send a message or data, or if you do not purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date you registered or activated your Account or your last use of the Services (whichever is later), Lycamobile will contact you by SMS or e-mail advising you that your SIM Card will be deactivated. Lycamobile will then provide you with an additional thirty (30) days to make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services.
3.5 If you make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services within the additional thirty (30) day period, your SIM Card will remain active. Any previous credit balance in your Account will remain available for you to use, and you will be able to access and use the Services.
3.6
If you do not make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services within the additional thirty (30) day period, your SIM Card will be deactivated. If the SIM Card is deactivated, your specific telephone number will be reallocated to another Customer, you will not be able to access or use the Services, and you will not be entitled to a refund of any credit balance in your Account.

 

[krzykat]

Planning to use the GoIP as a failover - means this would be cheaper and better than even the $10 T-Mobile plan I planned to use. If anyone uses this, please report back if it functions as advertised.

 

[rossiv]

I can't get the website to let me order a SIM. Payment keeps getting denied, but I have used the card today multiple times. I called customer service and they were less than helpful. They said that since I was on a Mac and did not have Internet Explorer, their recommended browser, that I would either have to purchase or find a computer with Internet Explorer or go in person to one of the few stores that sells their SIM cards. They also couldn't locate my three purchase attempts, either, which is a bit sketchy.

 

[rastasean]

Smart phone and tablet app Viber recently rolled out a new update to their free smart phone app and this includes Viber out: http://www.viberfaq.com/viber-out-call-rates/

Since this offering was just released, rates are still prohibitively high. For instance, calling Vietnam is 12.9 cents a minute whereas with Flowrote it's $0.0927

It will be very interesting to see how this mobile app competes with mobile phone providers in the future.

 

[Brian Simmons]

No service coverage in my area....

 

[rossiv]

Update here...I got an email (one for each time I tried to order a SIM over the weekend) today stating:

We are sorry to inform that your Lycamobile online Sim order on November 18, 2013 had failed due to the our software shut down. Therefore, please retry again and place new order.

I just placed ANOTHER order and it went through fine. We'll see how it works. I'm not using it with PIAF, but for something unrelated.

 

[Chris Sweeney]

Smart phone and tablet app Viber recently rolled out a new update to their free smart phone app and this includes Viber out: http://www.viberfaq.com/viber-out-call-rates/

Since this offering was just released, rates are still prohibitively high. For instance, calling Vietnam is 12.9 cents a minute whereas with Flowrote it's $0.0927

It will be very interesting to see how this mobile app competes with mobile phone providers in the future.

How can a mobile app compete with mobile phone providers? No wifi in my car unless I'm using my phone or hotspot for internet, the mobile phone providers only care about data now and this is great for them, it doesn't compete it fuels their modern revenue source!

 

[Chris Sweeney]

Smart phone and tablet app Viber recently rolled out a new update to their free smart phone app and this includes Viber out: http://www.viberfaq.com/viber-out-call-rates/

Since this offering was just released, rates are still prohibitively high. For instance, calling Vietnam is 12.9 cents a minute whereas with Flowrote it's $0.0927

It will be very interesting to see how this mobile app competes with mobile phone providers in the future.

PS Anveo calling to Vietnam is
0.03969
worst case, better than both.

 

[rastasean]

Thanks for letting me know, Chris!

 

[w1ve]

lycamobile does not offer service in some states, like mine. So they won't let you online order. No Problem -- you can buy the SIM cards on ebay. I bought two for $1.50. Seems like cheap investment.
I don't even care if the number is out of state... the rate is very good. I would not expect great customer service at these rates -- but as long as it works -- COOL!

 

[w1ve]

I couldn't find that on the web site anywhere.
Edit: Had to dig to find the T&C

Thanks for the correction. 90 days is not bad, and you still don't loose your money.