Down here in Oz, we’re making quite a few calls home over this and that, and while both of our cellphones work fine, even God couldn’t afford the roaming charges. But you can call Canada from halfway around the world for 2.8¢/minute, here’s how:
Lauren said something about buying a phonecard, and I wondered if that was necessary since we have this “Canada Direct” (just like “USA Direct” or any of the others) which drives the rates down quite a bit.
She gave me a pitying look and dived into an immigrant-heavy part of downtown Melbourne and came back with the gaily-decorated item above. It has an access number and a PIN and various incantations on the back. You do have to punch in quite a few numbers, but then a voice comes on as your call goes through saying “You have 703 minutes remaining on this call.”
It’s not just Australia. Lauren tells me that pretty well anywhere in the world, if you go to the right neighborhood, lots of stores sell these things. So what does this mean for the future of long-distance pricing? I think it’s tending to zero. (PS: Posting today from Maroochydore, Queensland. Nice spot.)
