Help me understand long distance

Bartholamue

Just a quick question about phoning long distance (probably a really silly one, too). If I phone someone to Japan from a home line in Canada and not a cell phone, but the receiving end is a cell phone, would it cost me more to phone this person than with both ends being a home phone line?

FirstComradeStalin

No. You get charged a flat rate based on where you're calling, not what you're calling. Your home phone provider sets those rates.

Look into calling cards if you want a better rate. Or maybe use Skype (either Skype-to-Skype or Skype-to-phone, which has pretty reasonable rates as well)

Bartholamue

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks for clearing things up, man. I'm a noob when it comes to phoning other countries.

strebalicious

Skype-to-Phone actually does cost more when you are calling a Japanese cell phone versus a Japanese land line. It's about 17 cents a minute to a cell phone versus 3 cents to a landline.

I think that's just Skype, though. A normal landline in Canadia will not cost more to call a cell phone in Japan

Druhim

I assume the cell phone is also a Japanese number, because with a cell phone it doesn't matter (for the person dialing it) where the cell phone is. What matters is where the phone number itself is based out of. For example, if you're calling from Seattle to a cell phone number that's based in Seattle (such as the NPA/NXX 206-200) then it doesn't matter if the cell phone is in Seattle or New York, it's local for you to dial. Alternatively, if the cell number you're dialing is based in New York then it doesn't matter if the cell phone is in Seattle where you are, it would still be long distance. I don't know if this works the same way outside the U.S. though.

burntheladle

It doesn't. For example, in Australia there is one area code that is only used for mobile numbers, and then there are area codes for each locality. There are different rates for mobile-mobile; landline-local; landline-mobile; landline-national; etc.

Check with your service provider. I know T Mobile charges me 9c per minute to call an Australian landline, and 25c per minute to call an Australian mobile. It's a big enough difference that it's worth looking into, the information should be on their website.

Wezoin

Also keep in mind, if you call a landline you're the only one paying long distance fees, but if you call a cell phone you both pay long distance.

Bartholamue

Wezoin wrote: »

Also keep in mind, if you call a landline you're the only one paying long distance fees, but if you call a cell phone you both pay long distance.

Yes, this is also what I wanted to know, thanks.

Zeon

Wezoin wrote: »

Also keep in mind, if you call a landline you're the only one paying long distance fees, but if you call a cell phone you both pay long distance.

That depends entirely on the persons cell phone plan. With my cell phone plan, you could call me from the moon and its free for me.

It also depends on the persons landline plan, some landlines do not have free incoming calls (very few, but they exist).

baudattitude

I just wanted to put my firsthand experience here in case it fits the profile of what you're trying to find out:

I spent two months in japan this summer, taking my US phone along. If my wife called me, she was dialing a local number, so there was no charge on our long distance bill, but I was charged $1.69 a minute by AT&T to receive the calls.

Serpent

Bartholamue wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Also keep in mind, if you call a landline you're the only one paying long distance fees, but if you call a cell phone you both pay long distance.

Yes, this is also what I wanted to know, thanks.

This is country specific and does not necessarily apply everywhere.

strebalicious

Serpent wrote: »

Bartholamue wrote: »

Wezoin wrote: »

Also keep in mind, if you call a landline you're the only one paying long distance fees, but if you call a cell phone you both pay long distance.

Yes, this is also what I wanted to know, thanks.

This is country specific and does not necessarily apply everywhere.

Correct. Japan, the receiver of the call does not pay charges, regardless of who-what-when-where-why-howhard.