Truphone Unveils First Multi-country Mobile Service

Truphone has unveiled its plans for a single-SIM, multi-country mobile service that will enable users to make calls in supported countries at local rates.

The mobile communications company says a key aim of the Local Anywhere service is to eliminate the hassle of switching SIM cards or the expense of often-exorbitant roaming charges when callers use their handsets on foreign trips.

Truphone claims that the new service, which will launch in September, will offer up to 80 per cent savings on roaming charges when visiting other countries.

Users can chose from 5 up to a mind-boggling 49 different telephone numbers, with a sliding scale subscription based on how many numbers are chosen.

Making the announcement at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Geraldine Wilson, Truphone's CEO, said the service was intended to get rid of the need for people to juggle multiple devices and phone numbers to avoid paying roaming charges.

"Our customers are telling us they want one phone, one SIM and one plan," she said.

Additional Truphone Local Anywhere features and cost savings include:

• number portability of existing mobile and landline numbers to Truphone
• full service multi-language customer support
• ability to manage their Caller ID (CLI)
• competitive rates on domestic calls, SMS, and data in home country
• low-cost international calling to the world from any Truphone Local Anywhere-supported country
• no roaming surcharges to receive calls in most major destinations
• TruFriends – providing even lower calling rates to call to other Truphone Local Anywhere customers
• additional "virtual" country mobile numbers to seem 'local' in another country so friends/colleagues can call at local rates.