We don't find alternatives to international call through numbers - they are a valid use of revenue sharing numbers.

jgxenite wrote on Dec 14^th, 2008 at 1:08pm:


Whilst I would agree with that point of view if people wish to ring international calling 0871 dialthru numbers on their home landline unfortunately the charges levied by many mobile operators for calling 0871 numbers are actually quite obscene and totally unjustifiable and almost totally negate the point of using the 0871 lower cost service (than BT landline rates) for calling numbers overseas.  The position on 0871 call charges is equally disgraceful from BT Payphones.

However I can only suggest to the OP that he should not be paying 0871 rates to call Malawi at all as the cheapest deals to landline and mobile phones seem to be using 0844 dial thru numbers at 3p for landlines and 4p for mobiles with Dialaround and Primus Saver respectively on 0844 439 9393 and 0844 709 0011 respectively.  However I don't think many of the mobile operators charge much lower rates to 0844 numbers than to 0871 sadly.

So the best bet is either if the OP can use a landline somewhere, time the call and then reimburse the person who owns the landliine or if he can get a calling card for calling Malawi that can be used from a BT Payphone or perhaps a landline given thet the charge on the landline will go on the card and not on the line he is calling from (if he is calling from an employer's landline for instance).  Calling cards for calling Malawi on a landline will normally be cheaper than calling cards that let you call Malawi from a payphone.

Looking for calling cards from landlines and payphones I have just come across this service that lets you call Malawi landlines for 2.8p per minute and Malawi mobiles for 3.9p per minute using an 020 access number after sending a text message to the number listed.  I can only presume the call is then somehow charged at these rates through a reverse billed SMS or some such or perhaps the text message from your mobile number triggers a debit on your online Rainbow account or something?  I am sure Rainbow telecom can supply you with more details on all this.

See www.mobilerainbow.co.uk/international-cards.asp?count=MALAWI

You can always find the cheapest rates for calling Malawi landlines and mobiles from a BT landline at any given time by visiting:-

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/malawi

and

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/malawi-mobile