helping to keep in touch international

[Katidyd]

Here's my situation, hopefully someone can offer a sound solution

A close cousin just immigrated from Laos but he leaves behind most of his family. The family lives out in the country where there's one village phone. I'm looking for a way to let the two parties keep in touch. The more feasible option may come down to be wireless services.

I've thought about cell phones. t-mobile rates are $2.99 per minute and verizon at $1.49.

A practical international two-way radio set up would be ideal if it's possible. What other choices (that are not money pits) are out there?

[Talsek]

The first thing that comes to mind is Skype. Honestly I've never had a use for it, so I can't comment on its usefulness, but if all this is true it's probably worth a shot.

[Jidoe]

Skype is really sweet. I use it quite frequently (basically, I no longer use the phone for international calls), but then again, if the village only has one phone, I'm pretty sure there is no internet connection there.

[kiania]

I've used Skype, and it works very well. Not sure about SkypeIn/SkypeOut though.

The other option is various services online that cut down international call charges (try asking Elei for these, I forget the websites he gave me)

[Dalaena]

If your family in Laos has internet access, then SKYPE and IMing is the best way to keep in touch. That's how I keep in touch with most of my family in Thailand.

If that's not an option, then using phone cards bought from Asian grocery stores to a mobile phone in Laos might be the best option. I think you can get it down to $.08 a minute, and they can be used at pay phones. It might be a BIT more expensive to call to a cell phone, I'm not sure.

Another option is to make "call dates" using the 1 village phone. Your cousin uses the above mentioned phone cards and calls at a specific time every week with relatives waiting by the village phone. We've done that to call my family that used to live in remote villages.

[Katidyd]

Would a present of a mobile phone and caller card to Laos be too generous?

I've never had a mobile phone before so I don't know how they work. (cuz they cause brain cancer!) Would I need to subscribe to a service?

Although, if they don't get reception over there then I'm out of a few dollars....

[Graeblyn]

Originally posted by Katidyd
Would a present of a mobile phone and caller card to Laos be too generous?

I've never had a mobile phone before so I don't know how they work. (cuz they cause brain cancer!) Would I need to subscribe to a service?

Although, if they don't get reception over there then I'm out of a few dollars....

I would imagine if the village is as remote as you've implied, that no mobile phone carrier would have made the investment of a cell tower within range. Also, you'd have to research which carriers exist in Laos, and if any of the carriers there even do prepaid cards. If not, but they do have reception there, you'd be best off, I guess, to sign up for an account in your own country and arrange international service.

Given all the above, you might consider a satellite phone instead, but that is more expensive.

In either case, there is the issue of charging the phone. You'd have to send them a charger/adapter that would work in their country (assuming they have ready access to electricity), or buy multiple battery packs and keep sending them back and forth as you charge them at your end, and they drain them on their end.

Probably the most practical thing to do would be to buy them a phone card that they can use from Laos to call you when they get to a phone on their end, and keep your mobile on you so you answer when they call.