Truphone Makes Every Call a Local Call

Truphone Local Anywhere SIM keeps you local, home and abroad

London, UK– 20th January, 2010 – Truphone today announces the launch of its Truphone Local Anywhere service – a full GSM solution, making it easier and more convenient for international travellers to stay in touch while making great cost savings on mobile phone bills. The new global mobile phone service provides consumers with local numbers and access to local rates for calls, texts and data in multiple countries on a single SIM card.

The service launches today for the US and the UK, and the company plans to rapidly roll out to a number of key business and leisure destinations in 2010, both across Europe and in longer haul destinations such as Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa.

Truphone Local Anywhere offers customers four main benefits:

• Local calling rates in Truphone countries: with Truphone Local Anywhere, a UK traveller in the US calling a local US number on their mobile pays only 10p/min, vs. £1.37/min standard mobile operator rate

• Local contact numbers in Truphone countries: local numbers mean people can call you on your mobile at local rates for them – at no cost to you

• Low-cost international calling: great rates to make international calls at home or abroad, offering savings of up to 90% over standard mobile operator charges

• Low-cost roaming: great rates when roaming in non-Truphone countries offering savings of up to 40% over standard mobile operator charges 

As Truphone Local Anywhere combines low cost calling and convenience at home and abroad, it provides an all in one solution which can replace a standard operator’s SIM in an unlocked GSM phone, making it the only phone service you’ll ever need.

Truphone Local Anywhere provides a variety of unique features that can offer any user unrivalled benefits. The service is specially aimed at people with international lifestyles including:

• Expatriates and their families: keep in touch with friends and family by not only making low cost calls back home, but also allowing them to call you on a local number. US expatriates settled in the UK can save more than 90% when they call home for an hour a week, compared to standard mobile operator charges and can enjoy local rates when you travel back home.

• Business travellers: save as much as 90% on calls made in and from Truphone countries and act like a local by providing colleagues with a local number to reach you on. Outside Truphone countries, you continue to make savings on normal roaming charges.

• International or gap year students: put your parents’ minds at rest by keeping them up to date with your travels, no matter what country you find yourself in. In the US, a quick 5 minute call to the UK once a week will cost just £26 year with Truphone, compared to over £350 on a standard mobile operator charge. Your parents can also call you on your UK number, at a local charge for them.

• Frequent travellers: stay local to friends and family at home and abroad with one mobile phone without worrying about expensive phone bills. Take advantage of local call rates to call friends you’ve made overseas and low cost calls to those back home

• Second home-owners: feel like a true local in your home away from home by taking advantage of local call rates. For example, in the US, call to book taxis or your favourite restaurant for as little as 10p per minute, compared to as much as £1.37 per minute on a standard mobile operator charge6. And have both country numbers on your one SIM, so you are always contactable on local numbers.

“Mobile charges are a pain point every time you go abroad, but they needn’t be with Truphone Local Anywhere,” says Geraldine Wilson, CEO Truphone. “We aim to keep you local in top travel destinations around the world, starting with the US and UK, so you can make calls at local rates and your friends, family and colleagues can reach you on a local mobile number. Truphone Local Anywhere is the ultimate phone service for people with international lifestyle - everything you need on just one SIM. It will totally change the way that people use their mobiles when they are home or abroad.”

Other benefits of Truphone Local Anywhere include:

• Ability to manage Caller ID the world over, displaying a local number wherever you are
• Up to 40% savings on roaming charges when visiting other countries
• Option to keep your existing phone number by moving it over to the Truphone network (coming soon)

The launch of Truphone Local Anywhere follows the success of the company’s award winning applications for the iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, Nokia and Android devices. Truphone continues to transform the world of mobile communications with the aim of allowing people to use their phone how and when they want, whether that’s home or abroad, for voice, text or data, without the fear of the forthcoming bill.

As of today, the SIM is available to BA customers and through www.truphone.com.

Further retail channels will be announced in the near future and will include other touch points for international travellers: mobile phone stores, foreign exchange, airlines, airport boutiques and online e-tailer affiliates.