The global telecommunications has grown impressively. Today it is possible to make and receive messages from and to almost anywhere in the world. This base also provides the ability to connect Internet networks at different latitudes.
If you are a business person who travels around the globe, your job requires you to settle in different countries on a non-permanent basis, or you are a blogger travel, such connections greatly benefit you.
However, it may happen that you must update your telephone number in each city in which you establish yourself.. This is a potential inconvenience if someone from outside wants to call you. Since you will have an outdated contact. To find the solution, we invite you to read this post.
What are the benefits of using an international number valid in several countries?
Mentioned the previous problem, we can already say one of the advantages of having an international number. The mere fact that your contact card does not change, allows you to share it with anyone regardless of the country. This ensures that they can always contact you at the same number. Another advantage is that you can avoid expensive extra charges by international. In addition, in some cases the companies do not offer this service in all countries.
In the same way you can ensure good coverage. By using local connections (antennas and wireless networks) you should not worry about not having a signal. If you dedicate yourself to telephone sales abroad, this tool is necessary. It is usually used by Call Centers. Which appear to have a local area code when in fact they are making the call from another country or even continent.
Steps to have an international number that you can use in several countries with Google voice, Twilio, Skype or Stdlib
It sounds like a tangle of names, but it’s less complicated than it sounds. The first thing we have to say is that in order to create an international number we are going to use several applications at the same time. The route that the call or SMS will follow is shown in the image.
Pay attention to the following steps:
- get an account google voice. It is a service to make calls for free between PC and mobile users. Here we will get the international number that we must divulge among our contacts. The only drawback is that only works for US and Canada region.
- For get a US phone number We will use the app. TextNowavailable on the Google Play Store.
- Create a user account. You must confirm it via email.
- When it asks if you want to use the area code of your current location, press no.
- Choose a United States area code for example 501.
- The application will show you five number options, choose the one you like best and press “Continue”.It will remain this way 501 XXX XXXX
- With this you will already have a number with an American prefix.
- So far, we can only send and receive calls to and from USAthis is where it comes in Twilio. It is a platform for calls through the cloud. And taking into account that it is compatible with many more countries will work as one of the intermediaries. Maintaining this service is economical since it offers the service from 1 euro.
- It’s time to tell Google Voice to send calls to Twilio. For this we will use the tool stdlib that allows you to create a “dialogue” between applications.
- Create an account on Twilio, confirm and choose a payment plan.
- enter to “twilio.com/docs/voice/twiml”
- Creates a new Project
- Enter local phone number that uses the mobile you are using, no matter what country you are in. In the case of using the service in several countries, we recommend you keep the SIM cards, in case you re-enter said territory. (You must do this step for each region in which you use it)
- Copy the following code and replace the X by the number created.
For calls:
- https://nemo.api.stdlib.com/twilio/forward?
- FordwardTo=501XXXXXXX&type=call
For SMS:
- https://nemo.api.stdlib.com/twilio/forward?
- FordwardTo=501XXXXXXX&type=SMS
With this we have completed and created our own international call diverter at a very low price.
Numbers 8835 What does this code mean on certain mobile phone numbers?
If you have received calls with numbers beginning with these digits, it means that someone or a company has tried to contact you from an international number. Unlike the case of the previous explanation, these are provided by a provider. They can be managed on an IP basis or be mobile phone operators. They offer a service of international calls and messages at a cost that does not vary depending on where you are.
This service works virtually. That is to say, it does it from an application for smartphone or from functions belonging to the contracted company. This simplifies all the steps we saw in the previous section. in exchange for a monthly subscription or added cost per minute of call.
List of the best international number providers
within the companies that provide the aforementioned services we will find the one from several countriesprices and tools included.
Among the most recommended we can recommend those included in the list:
ringover.com
This company french offers a service in which you can have a wide variety of numbers from more than 100 countries in the palm of your hand. It is possible to receive and call each of them since the application stores them. The shipping and receiving options are Fixed telephony, Fax, mobile and even a free number depending on the country.
sonetel.com
The packages of this company start from 99 cents per month. In addition, it has a coverage area of 239 countries on different continents. It does not add additional costs to the calls, which means if you make a call from another country you will only be charged the local price.
TollfreeForwarding.com
It works through the cloud in more than 120 territories around the world. It also offers the possibility of forwarding calls to existing lines as if it were a local communication. It is one of the simplest to use and configure. In addition, it provides support 24 hours a day.
Zadarma.com
Offers a virtual telephone exchange. In which you can have all the numbers you want (as long as you pay for them) from any of the 100 countries within the service. Add to this the transfer, call forwarding, recording, reporting and multilingual answering tools.
IDTExpress.com
In addition to the traditional packages offered by its competitors, this company offers call traffic analysis, the possibility of conduct international conference calls and boasts of having the strongest security for communications.
International number vs local line What is the best option to have service while traveling?
The answer to this question will always be related to the type of activity that we carry out abroad. In the event that we are on vacation in another country and the roaming service of our company is not favorable or not available, it is recommended to change the SIM card. Taking into account that the stay does not usually exceed two weeks, hire an external international service it will be unnecessaryas they offer monthly packages.
However, in this situation it may happen that the mobile is not compatible with said card. It occurs with equipment sold by the same telephone companies. It is advisable to investigate each particular case. If you are going to make a international tour by several countries, changing the number in each of them will be cumbersome and even dangerous. We say this because if someone wants to contact you they may not have your updated contact.
We recommend in this case that contract a virtual international number service for the duration of your journey. In this way you will not have to worry about updating your contact with your friends and family. If it is about business, an international number is your must. You can offer your client the facility to communicate with local rate with your business and do the same with others from different latitudes. In addition, you have the advantage of being able to move your office abroad without the need to change your numbers.
List of the best applications to receive calls and have service while traveling the world
There is a third option able to solve communication problems when we are away from home (country). We refer to applications that offer the possibility of make voice calls and video calls.
They can be used as long as we have a stable internet connection. This can be achieved through Wi-Fi or by acquiring a sim with a 4G. Although it is always better to use the free one. If it is a tourist town, it is certain that you will be able to find sites with open networks (inform yourself about the dangers that this entails). Hotels, accommodation, bars and restaurants are places where you can connect to the web in a less risky way.
In any case, these are the best applications to make free international calls:
The world’s most popular messaging service also offers voice and video call options. The same they will not consume the minutes you have in the phone plan. In the event that the other person does not answer, you can always leave an audio. Another of its advantages is that it is available for all operating systems. The bad: you can’t do it with the web version used on a computer.
Telegram
The main competition of WhatsApp, although always one step ahead in tools. Thanks to its end-to-end encryption services, the company guarantees the total security of messages and calls. It is available for all platforms and best of all, you can communicate to and from a PC. As a negative we can mention that not everyone uses this app.
facebook messenger
The second product of Facebook on this list. A simple management option with clear objectives. Keep in mind that for the communication to be carried out successfully, both parties they must be friends in the social network.
skype
Her reputation precedes her. Historically it has been one of the best applications for video calls over the Internet. Offers options of videoconferences and you can add contacts only with their username. In addition, by agreeing to pay a fee, calls can be made to real phone numbers.
lines
if we talk about group conferences, this is the best option, since it allows the simultaneous connection of up to 200 users. In addition, photos and other multimedia files can be sent. All of the mentioned applications can be downloaded for free from the store corresponding to each operating system.
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