German telephone and internet provider Klatro has launched a new telephone service for home phone and mobile phone users called “Callavista Phone”. This new service is free of monthly fees as well as minimum charges and combines call-through, call-back and internet telephony via a SIP client. It is especially suited for international calls to other countries by home phone or mobile phone or for international roaming calls by cell phone and offers free community calls such as Skype. The advantage of the Callavista phone services to other cost-saving alternatives such as call by call, buying a prepaid SIM card in the host country or using special mobile phone tariffs for international calls: It can be used independently of any provider either by cell phone or by home phone and it is practically available worldwide.

Call-Through

Callavista call-through is suited especially for making cheap international calls by home phone or cell phone when the user has already booked a flat rate tariff for calls to German home phones because the call-through access number of Callavista is a landline number for Munich. First, the Callavista call-through user has to dial the access number 089 – 122 289 - 100 followed by the destination number and the pound key (#). For example, Callavista call-through calls from Germany to home phones or mobile phones in the United States cost EUR 0.07 per minute or to home phones in Poland and Japan EUR 0.045 per minute. For call-through calls from Germany to mobile phones in Poland Callavista charges EUR 0.155 per minute, for calls to mobile phones in Japan EUR 0.169 per minute. Callavista call-through users, who don’t have booked a flat rate tariff of their regular home phone or mobile phone provider, pay an additional charge for calling the call-through access number of Callavista.

Call-Back

Call-back is rather suited for making mobile phone calls in other countries. For using Callavista call-back by cell phone outside of Germany the subscriber first has to dial the access number 0049 89 – 122 289 - 200 in order to trigger the return call. On hearing a ringing tone, he or she simply hangs up and awaits the call-back which usually takes only a few seconds. When the call-back has arrived the subscriber picks up the phone and dials the required number. The total cost for a call-back from another country is made up of three parts: for the connection between the call-back server in Germany and the mobile phone, for connecting to the person the user wants to talk to and for roaming fees for receiving a call on the cell phone in another country. For example, for a call-back triggered in Spain Callavista charges EUR 0.321 per minute (to a Spanish home phone) or EUR 0.453 per minute (to a Spanish mobile phone).

Internet Telephony

For using the Callavista Phone internet telephony service subscribers have to log in to the web site www.callavista.de, open the phone client and dial the phone number of the person he or she wants to talk to. Community calls are free of charge, calls to German home phones cost EUR 0.04 per minute, calls to German mobile phones EUR 0.16 per minute. Callavista Phone should be used with a broadband internet connection and offers video calls between subscribers.

Requirements

In order to use Callavista Phone home phone, cell phone or internet users have to register for the service with their cellular phone number at www.callavista.de. They do not have to download any software on their PC or on their smartphone. There is no minimum term or any monthly fees. Calls can be made when there is enough credit topped up on the prepaid account. New credit can be topped up by direct debit or by credit card. Callavista offers also a address book service. Since usually call-through providers tend to change their rates frequently, it is imperative to check current rates on a regular basis. It is also good advice to compare the Callavista rates for call-through and call-back with the rates of alternative telephone services available.