Truphone Local Anywhere SIM Cards

Truphone, who I love, love for my iPhone, recently announced the launch of a new product – Truphone Local Anywhere to be available to consumers later this year. Truphone Local Anywhere is a SIM card for your mobile phone. This service uses a single-SIM card that works in multiple countries to make any mobile call within the set of supported countries into a local call. You will, of course, need an unlocked cell phone to use this service.

The introduction of Truphone’s multi-country, single-SIM service will change the current experience of people with an international lifestyle. Their mobile experience is currently characterized by frustration, brought on by constantly having to juggle multiple SIM cards and mobile phones in order to minimize their mobile costs.

How does this work? Simple, you purchase one SIM card to use in any member country for inexpensive calls. You don’t have to buy a new SIM card every time you visit a new country, and you can save heaps of green over using your carrier’s roaming rates.

According to the press release, Truphone Local Anywhere also provides savings to people calling Truphone Local Anywhere customers. Friends, family or business associates can call whichever number is most convenient to the caller – making every call cost the same as a local call. That part isn’t really any different than using a traditional mobile carrier. If my Mom calls me while I’m in South America, she still uses the same number she would if I were at home in Arkansas, so it doesn’t seem like as much of a benefit.

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;
• Up to 80 percent savings on roaming charges when visiting other countries;
• 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.

Sounds like a great deal. I have been successfully using a combination of YouMail and Truphone for iPhone to keep in touch while traveling, though this option requires a Wi-Fi connection.