New England Telephone Calling Card Commercial

It's a pretty old calling card commercial (early 90s), but enjoy!

Survey Calls for Customer Experience Overhaul

When Forrester Research asked nearly 5,000 consumers about their interactions with a variety of companies to gauge the usefulness, usability, and enjoyability of their experiences, wireless carriers kept coming up short. Consumer feedback indicated that wireless customers are largely displeased with their carriers across the board. The survey, however, also showed they are even unhappier with both their Internet and television service providers.

Forrester used the survey findings to calculate a Customer Experience Index (CxPi) for 112 firms spanning nine industries. With a CxPi of 66%, wireless carriers came in fifth in the industry rankings. Internet providers came in third to last on the list of nine with a CxPi of 62%, and TV service providers followed, beating out only medical insurance providers, at a CxPi of 60%.


Source:
http://www.communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/100/28166

New Commercials - La Leyenda from IDT

This is a new phone card commercial: La Leyenda by IDT. It's in spanish.

Guangzhou to Acquire 60% of Lihe Deal to Create Prepaid Joint Venture

Guangzhou has signed a joint venture agreement with Beijing Lihe Jiahua Technology and Trading Company. Guangzhou, a mobile phone handset and prepaid calling card distributor, and mobile handset value-added services provider in the PRC, said that the company has set up a retail branch in Beijing. The Beijing branch will offer wireless products and value-added technology services. As part of the deal, Guangzhou will also acquire 60% of Lihe for RMB1.5 million. Lihe’s un-audited revenue in 2006 is around 50 million RMB with 4 million RMB of gross profit.

Lihe is a local Beijing company that is the agent of China Unicom in addition to several companies who provide internet games. Lihe is also intends to cooperate with Net Telecom and China Mobile.

Beijing, as host city of the Olympic Games in 2008, is the political center of China. It has advantages in both economics and travel, with a population of 17 million, 5.1 million of which is floating. According to statistics, the coverage of mobile users in Beijing was over 100% last year.

Ms. Li Yankuan, the CEO of the Company, stated, “The setup of the Beijing branch is a crucial step in the integration of our business throughout China. As the capital of China, Beijing is the most developed city in Northern China. Accordingly, we have targeted the city as the most significant place for us to expand our business.”


Source:
http://www.prepaid-press.com/news_detail.php?t=paper&id=1996

011 Mobile Launches Mobile International Dialing Enables International Calling from Mobile Device

Through its partnership with ANI Networks, a Tier 1 network provider, 011 Mobile has rolled out an international calling plan that provides the convenience low cost international calling from a mobile device. 011 Mobile, a Las Vegas-based MVNO, will now be providing mobile international rates comparable to both landline and prepaid calling card rates.

011 is attempting to address the growing needs of the international customer, who is usually forced to use a prepaid calling card to make an international call. Even though most customers have cell phones, the rates to international destinations from a mobile phone have not been comparable to landline rates.

“We are looking forward to serving those customers with family members abroad, the international business person, and international visitors to our country, with a competitive rate on a network they can rely on. This market has been under served and taken advantage of for far too long,” said Adam Bonaldi, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for 011 Mobile.

011 Mobile says its international rates do not carry additional fees and surcharges.


Source: http://callingcards.bravejournal.com/archive/01/1/2008

Phone Cards for Troops

Many phone cards have been given out for troops in Iraq to help them keep in touch with their family back home in US. Read: Phone Card Fundraiser for Troops, and AT&T Donates Prepaid Phone Cards to U.S. Military Overseas.

However, using prepaid phone cards aren't the only way to stay connected, and here are some reasons why:

1) Some Military bases have AT&T pay phones installed and allow for the use of calling cards but beware the cards won't deliver the promissed minutes because they will incur a pay phone fee and if it is a non AT&T calling card will incur at least another $1.50 network access fee. These fees come off the balance of the card, resulting in less minutes. I have even heard reports that some of the pay phones block acess to other non AT&T 800 numbers.

2) Some Morale, Welfare and Recreation posts actualy offer VOIP Phone calling and the costs can be much better than phone cards but they are harder to come bye and subject to more "lag" and quality degradation based on the internet signal strength.

3) Government DSN phones are also available in some places where a soldier connects directly to an operator who connects him/her to the party of their hoice. The rates are similar to that of calling from your home phone in the US.

4) Iraq cell phones are also available locally to the troops but you must buy them off base. From what I hear the coverage is ok but the rates are somewhat more expensive.

5) Last but not least are sat phones which are not as plentiful but they deffinately are useful in the more remote bases in Iraq where the amenities are not as plentiful.

see tons of press releases out there about groups sending over phone cards to the troops in Iraq to help them call home and always wondered if people really understood the "phone" situation over there. To help calrify, here are a few hings you should know:

In short, base camps in Iraq do support communication. It's not like they're in the middle of nowhere with technology devices. So if you have family member(s) who are serving in Iraq, consult with them and see which one of the above options is best for them and see if you can help them out in another way. Sometimes a phone card may be the best choice but other times more practical and economical methods are available.