International Callback phone service is a popular option for making cheap international calls from countries that have very expensive monopoly, often state controlled, phone companies. These countries block outside competition in order to keep their international calling rates artificially high. Rates on Phone Cards also tend to be high in these countries and they often actively block the use of the INTERNET for making low cost calls. These countries want to force consumers to use their high cost phone company.
In most cases, international callback can be used to avoid the high tariffs imposed on international phone calls in these countries. International callback by-passes the high cost monopoly company by placing the international call through a low cost third country. It works in the following:
- The user triggers a call to from a phone located in a low cost third country. The call is triggered by making a call to a special phone number (letting it ring one or two times with no answer) in the third country or by sending a message like an e-mail or a text message from a cell phone.
- The phone (computer) in the third country recognizes the user and places a call to there phone in the high cost country.
- The user answers the call and has a dial tone. The user can than place an international call over the third countries low cost network by dialing the phone number they desire.
Callback calls are normally triggered using three different methods. The most common method is to place a call to a phone number in the third country. The caller will let the phone ring two or three times than hang up without an answer. In this way they are not charged for an international call. A computer at the other end will recognize them based on their phone number and place a call back to their phone number. Thus the term callback phone service. When the call is received, the caller will be in the low cost phone system and can place a call to any country in the world. This method of triggering a call is referred to as traditional callback. Another method, commonly called web call, uses a standard e-mail message to trigger a callback and place a call. A third method, commonly called SMS call, uses a text message from a cell phone to trigger a callback and place a call.
Several countries try to block callback in order to protect their high cost, monopoly phone companies. Blocking traditional callback is relatively easy since it relies on caller ID in order to recognize the customer. Blocking web call or SMS call is difficult or impossible so these methods can be used from almost any country.
Callback phone service can be obtained through a variety of service providers. The service is almost always provided on a prepaid basis.
