Frequently Asked Question #32:
Q: What is the cost of telephone calls in Italy - and how can I reduce my telephone costs?
A: Telecom Italia's 'Hello Gratis' seems to be the default tarrif that you get when you install a new telephone in Italy. The cost of telephone calls under this tarrif can be found here: note that the first 60 minutes of local calls every two months are free. However, a variety of other tarrifs are available - take a good look around the 187.it site.
In general, long-distance and international calls are expensive in Italy: the good news is that you don't need to make either. For long-distance and international calls you can use a call-back service: our favourite is the COMXO Call2 service.
With a Call2 account you can make high quality, low cost calls from any phone anywhere in the world to any phone anywhere in the world - and no charges whatsoever will appear on your Telecom Italia account. This isn't one of those poor-quality VoIP services that need special equipment: all you need is a regular phone and the use of a normal phone line.
For example, current rates (June 2010) are only:
- 2.6p per minute to call from Italy to the USA, or from the USA to Italy
- 2.4p per minute to call from Italy to the UK, or from the UK to Italy
That's the cheapest we have found - and given the number of calls we make to and from Italy, we had good reason to research this very carefully.
There's no setup cost, no service fees, no connection surcharge, and no minimum usage requirement. You can apply using the 'Open Account' page at the Call2 website.
If you are looking for free, reliable internet access for only the cost of a local call - see our internet FAQ.
For information on ISDN and ADSL in Italy, see our ISDN and ADSL FAQ.
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