4 December 2007
uSwitch has issued advice on how to make home phone calls overseas for cheaper this Christmas.
Using broadband telephony, or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is one way of making free phone calls if the recipient owns similar technology - or can result in a 92% discount if making calls to landlines in countries such as Australia, Ireland and the US.
By contrast, uSwitch advised Virgin Media customers that they pay dearly for making international calls - with 15-minute calls to Germany and Australia over their services working out as 126% and 87% more expensive than BT, respectively.
To remedy this, non-VoIP customers are advised to purchase an International Calling Package for the festive season - with BT's, for example, saving customers over 60% on calls for just an extra £1 each month.
Head of Communications Services at uSwitch Steve Weller commented: “It’s clear that VoIP is a great way to save money on calling abroad. However, the sophisticated range of international calling plans and other landline options show that there’s no reason to write off the traditional home phone just yet.
"Christmas is an expensive time of year and a few pounds here and there can really mount up - so if you have family or friends abroad that you wish to call, plan ahead and make sure you don’t miss out on savings by not shopping around.”
Finally, the site offered advice for those customers contented with their own home phone provider and unwilling to experiment with VoIP - using a pre-fix code.
This gives customers a special number to enter before international calls, and knock rates down by around 81%, according to uSwitch research.
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