Calling Tips.

Calling tips are provided here. This can let you to have quality calls to and from any country at affordable price. Lot of Sri Lanka people are working in foreign countries as laborers and executives in Middle East and South Korea. Meanwhile some of them are working as specialists in certain fields too. If you are leaving Sri Lanka for to work overseas get a Smartphone and ask your Carrier to activate your Roaming facility in your mobile account. In addition take another Smartphone to buy a new SIM card and to activate it from the country where you are visiting. It is better to have a DUAL SIM Smartphone that will help you to use local and new SIM cards through it. Also carry some passport size photos as India like country may request you to provide it to issue new SIM card under your name. Before the invention of VoIP calls, traditional wire calls were very expensive and it was difficult to get calls and good sound on both sides. With the latest VoIP technology foreign calls can be made with crystal clear sound. And the cost is very cheap too.

In Middle East some countries had banned the use of VoIP and the IM App services. Using the IM App services are strictly prohibited in these countries. The funniest thing is some Nokia model Smartphones do allow them to call even in the jamming condition too. In the ME lot of countries had blocked Viber, Skype and WhatsApp like Apps. But everyday there are new Chinese call Apps are coming in to the Apps market and allow people to use them freely. So it is very difficult for the Government's to control over them. On the other hand there are lots of VoIP call service providing companies too are operating in these countries secretly and they too can be controlled over. In UAE people are using BOTIM, C’Me, and Videolink2.me to make calls between their friends. They are free to download and Install in Smartphones and Handheld devices for to make calls.

Smartphone can go for Pre-Paid account to save on mobile phone spending. In addition get a package that is coming with call minutes, Mobile Data and SMS packages. This package used to valid for 30 days. In India Jio and Airtel offer this type of package. In Sri Lanka Dialog.lk, Mobitel.lk and Airtel.lk are offering this kind of packages.

• When you are making a phone call, tell to the other end person about whom you are and whom you want to talk with.
• If you are calling from Italy or S.Korea first tell them that you are calling from Italy or S.Korea. So the other party will understand that it is an expensive call.
  
• Happened to dial a home line? If an elderly person receives the call, he may ask you lot of questions like who you are and where you are calling from. Most of these elders are waiting by the phone to pass their time. So tell them whom you want to talk. Don't answer to that person's questions as it will cost you money..

• There are two kinds of phone tariff applies for calls. It can be peak time or off peak time call. Make your calls in the early mornings. It will help you to get off-peak phone bill.
• Peak time calls are expensive. Calling from a cellular phone is more expensive than the land line calls.
• PC calls and VoIP calls are cheap but they will not allow you to make emergency-calls.
• While you are abroad, you can make collect call through the operator and the charges will be added to your home bill or to the person who accepts it.
• A land phone or Mobile phone can give three kinds of tones.
  1. Ringing sound
  2. Engaged tone (someone is talking or the receiver is not placed properly.)
  3. Line disconnected tone.
     
     
• Cell phones can receive messages even if they are switched off. Once it is switched on, it will display message alert.
• Before calling a person in a foreign country, check their local time to make sure that you are not disturbing him.
• If your country allows using VoIP service, then go for it as it is the cheapest method to make IDD calls.
• When experiencing thunderstorm don't use mobile or CDMA phones to prevent lightning attacks.
• In many countries including Sri Lanka the use of cell phones are prohibited by law while driving. Use hands free.
• In third world countries, operator assisted phone connections are cheaper than the IDD calls.
• International roaming is easier way to connect to your home while you are visiting another country. But it will be expensive. Get a local SIM and use it for cheaper tariffs. To achieve this you must have at least a Tri band handset. Quad band is the best.
• Satellite communication allows calls from anywhere to any number through any satellite phones. Their charges are high and may be around US$ 6.50 per minute.
• Toll free numbers, there will be no charges if you call these numbers. But be warned, if they are forwarded to another line, that may cost you lot of money.
• Premium numbers, if you try to contact these numbers your account will be charged with US$ 1 - 10 per each minutes. These people trick you to call their Premium Numbers.
• Using your Smartphone IM Messenger Apps and Softphone dialer Apps through the Wi-Fi connection is the cheapest way to make international calls.
• Never call back missed calls from unknown foreign numbers as it may be a Premium Number. You will be billed with large amount of phone bill.
  
• In Sri Lanka Carriers offer packages for one month with Call minutes, Mobile Data and SMS. These packages will save you lot of money.
  

Using phone in Sri Lanka.