Most important comment because it may be helpful to some of the troops is from reader Susan K. Burke:
“I am an operator on a military base in Massachusetts. Soldiers can call their loved ones by calling through their DSN line to the States; all MA phone calls are free, with the exception of area code 413. We are staffed 24/7.
“The number is DSN (312)478-5980. MA only. We also put through calling cards to anywhere.”
This is a great solution to those soldiers who have access to a DSN line; unfortunately many frontline and some others don’t. Susan confirmed to me that soldiers calling states other than Massachusetts are welcome to use the service to reach the US numbers for US-based calling card companies. If your soldier can take advantage of this, buy him or her a nonAT&T US-based card. You shouldn’t have to pay more than a couple of cents per calling minute.
Good question is why aren’t bases in other States doing this? If they are, would love to hear from them and will help publicize.
Reader DG Lewis never fails as an articulate spokesman for the telco POV. He asks:
“If US$0.20 - US$0.25 per minute is such a ripoff, how come the only other international calling card providers with service from Iraq to the US charge between US$0.45 and US$0.57 per minute? (See the blog post linked in my name, which I wrote last time you wrote on this.)”
Note: his blog is here.
The answer is that most INTERNATIONAL (my emphasis) calling card companies overcharge travelers. Experienced and frugal travelers, my kids for example, know that they can buy LOCAL calling cards or SIMs for their cellphones in the country they’re in and save a small fortune, especially on calls to the US which are usually only a few pennies a minute. In fact, I’m told cheap calls are available on local calling cards in Iraq (although I don’t have reliable rates) . But our soldiers can’t go out on the street and buy these cards except in some of the more peaceful parts of Iraq (there are some). And they can’t go use the phones on most Iraqi streets. They can only use at&t calling cards on the safe phones in the PXes.
Other international calling card rates are a poor benchmark. The PX phones connect directly to the US. Where VoIP is available to the soldiers, as I blogged before, the rate to call the US is $.04/minute. This is the proper benchmark. The at&t service is a ripoff because it provides at&t with a huge per call margin at the expense of American soldiers – doesn’t make it less of a ripoff because affluent travelers who don’t bother to shop for better rates also pay too much.
Let me ask a rhetorical question back: if the at&t rates aren’t a ripoff, why is at&t blocking the use of other calling cards from their phones?
Reader Parkite who is telecom knowledgeable writes:
“Absolutely criminal.....whoever has made the decision at ATT to gouge our troops like this s/b ashamed of themselves. And today i notice the DOJ has approved ATT's acquisition of Bellsouth. I don't understand how this can get approved.”
And reader Pat Phelan who also has an industry perspective comments:
“This is a disgrace.
“The executives from AT&T should be ashamed of themselves.
“Even on callback I could double these minutes and still make a margin, hell even Jajah could give them 50% more minutes.
“Shame on you AT&T”
My previous rant on the subject is here.