A friend has a Virgin mobile "SIM only" contract with a very good deal (£5/month for 1200 mminutes, unlimited texts and data). The snag is that reception in her flat in SE London is non-existent. I think Virgin MVNO uses EE (Orange and Tmobile). There's no coverage from Three in her flat either. Don't know about Vodafone and O2.

She frequently needs to call mobiles from home, so she does it from her landline. I can't see any cheap way of doing this. About the best I can see is to download the Skype app on her mobile and get a UK mobile package from Skype. Then it will route over her wifi.

Or is there some way of boosting her mobile signal?

Or some way that she can ues her Virgin minutes via her internet connection?

Any help much appreciated.

It all depends on her landline provider.  I have BT and, using 18185 (i.e. using an override provider not BT itself), pay 6p/minute* to call mobiles.

* That's weekdays.  It's 7p/minute @ weekends.  There's a 5p connection charge too.  For those with an Unlimited Anytime Calls contract, BT might be slightly cheaper evenings and weekends but they charge 15p connection (16p from 1/12/14).
Best way to get some ideas is to use the moneysavingexpert.com UK CallChecker:ttp://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/mobile-numbers/daytime/bt/easy

Landline provider and ISP is currently Virgin, soon to be Plusnet.

I'm aware of MSE and the good work it does, not just for telephony but in all sorts of areas. There really isn't a truly low cost way of calling UK mobiles from landlines. Even if you don't include US/Canada (where calls to mobiles are same price as to landlines) it's still cheaper to call mobiles in many other countries via Skype etc than to call UK mobiles in any way from a landline.

As MSE says. the cheapest way to call a mobile is almost always from a mobile.

I think my friend can get a similar but not quite so good SIM only deal from Tesco mobile (MVNO based on O2). She thinks that O2 may work in her flat. If this is all true, it's by far the best solution.

I was hoping that there might be some facility from Virgin to make calls via her internet connection. I think some other mobile networks can do this though I haven't really looked yet.

I know that this comment is of no direct value in relation to the case in question.

We do however look forward to the stage where the progressive reduction in the termination fees paid to mobile providers will reach the point where the distinction between normal calls to landline and mobile numbers will disappear.

This raises many issues, which would best be discussed elsewhere.

I know of apps you can use from your mobile to use your landline minutes ,but not the other way around.

If she has inclusive landline minutes. The cheapest way i am aware of is http://www.localphone.com/call/united_kingdom you open a prepaid account ,they allocate you  01/02 numbers to point at your target mobiles. You pay just 1.8p a minute,no connection fee, no rental,no admin fees.

There are hints that something may be possible: http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Mobile/Increase-Mobile-Phone-Signal-in-my-Home/td-p/1272427

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/realworld/381925/how-to-boost-your-mobile-reception/2

Solutions seem to fall into 2 categories:

1: Femtocells, which create a local cell with backhaul via broadband. Legal ones are supplied by the mobile operators, with plenty of illegal ones available.

2: Apps which allow calls to be made via wifi.

Unfortuantely I can't see that either of these solutions is available for Virgin mobile.

Got you now   was on wrong track.  ;)

Three have recently launched http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Three_inTouch

EE have something in pipeline.

O2 have TUGO.

Seen nothing similar coming out of Virgin Mobile yet.

I know of a couple of landline to mobile providers that 0.5p on these calls, via access numbers:
0843 015 9748      Low Calls
0843 836 0005      doubledial

many more providers charge 1p. Don't forget the connection charge. Let me know if you need more info on them.

Talk Talk now include calls to uk mobiles in its anytime boost.


"The simple way to keep control of your calling costs for £7.50 a month.

Unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles.
Gives 60 minutes per call - just hang up and redial to avoid a standard rate after this.
Day or night, weekday or weekend.
Includes 0845/0870 numbers (when you have TalkTalk line rental)."


http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/boost/10616/anytime-uk-calls-boost

bigjohn wrote on Oct 30^th, 2014 at 10:34am:

Seen nothing similar coming out of Virgin Mobile yet.

Virgin seem to offer only offer SmartCall to let you charge calls made from your mobile to your landline package:
http://store.virginmedia.com/discover/phone/smartcall.html

nicholas43 wrote on Jan 16^th, 2015 at 6:14pm:

bigjohn wrote on Oct 30th, 2014 at 10:34am: Seen nothing similar coming out of Virgin Mobile yet. Virgin seem to offer only offer SmartCall to let you charge calls made from your mobile to your landline package: http://store.virginmedia.com/discover/phone/smartcall.html

Yes the main idea of which is to enable you to use your bundled home telephone minutes on your mobile. Also handy if you want to call non geographical numbers if your mobile supplier charges more to call them then Virgin Media.

allegro wrote on Oct 29^th, 2014 at 2:27pm:

Landline provider and ISP is currently Virgin, soon to be Plusnet.

Plusnet offer a bundle of 100 mobile minutes for £3 per month.

Ofcom has confirmed a further reduction in Mobile Termination Rates over the next three years as well as extending these provisions to cover all UK providers from 1 May 2015:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/mobile-call-termination-14/statement/
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/mobile-call-termination-14/statement/MCT_final_statement.pdf

This brings closer the day when landline providers will offer inclusive calls to mobile numbers.

It also means that instant access international call gateways and other such inappropriate usage will shift to more appropriate 084, 087 and 09 ranges where they can properly declare their Service Charge.

Providers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man remain outside of these provisions.

The Daily Mail covered yesterday's announcement -
Cost of mobile calls to other networks to fall: Watchdog orders companies to reduce charges by 40% over the next two years.

The headline and some of the copy slightly misses the point, as ultimately this could result in higher charges for using mobiles (although competition has so far been effective in preventing this being seen as an effect). It is only one component of the charge that will be reduced by 40%.

At least the article includes a strongly worded comment from a campaigner, as (almost) the last word.

Ian01 wrote on Mar 18^th, 2015 at 11:37am:

This brings closer the day when landline providers will offer inclusive calls to mobile numbers.

EE's current Anytime landline package includes 1000 minutes a month to UK mobiles. BT have not, as far as I know, said whether they will continue this when they take over EE.

If you have inclusive 0845 calls i note  this company currently offer calls to UK Mobiles via a 0845 access number at certain times.

"Call 0845 577 1321"

Then enter the mobile number  you wish to call including country code i.e 0044 7xxx  xxxxxx

Then press the # key.
Available Monday to Friday 8am to 5.45pm only

http://bluewatertelecom.com/Unlimited-International-Calls-Selected-Countries.php

WARNING . BT and some other suppliers do not allow you to use inclusive minutes to call indirect access numbers. Worth checking with your supplier.