phone communication

[Ahmed & Sue 0]

Communication............

This week has been crazy here. It hasn't helped because all the kids and I have done is run back and forth to town getting things. Usually Ahmed and I meet online after work, but that was not possible this past week. Was it just me, or have the phone lines between the US and Egypt been terrible lately? Either I get him and I can't hear him, or I dial the number and am told the phone is either out of coverage area or turned off, or it tells me the call can not be completed as dialed (lots of this). No matter how many times I have called this past week the connections have been awful. Cairo has had rain lately, and I am wondering if this has something to do with it. Anybody else around the Cairo area having problems like this? Just wondered if it is actually the weather, or if I need to change the phone card company. Up until now I have not had a problem with them. It's driving me nuts.

And as long as we are talking phones.......I use a prepaid calling card, but am wondering if anyone else has any good suggestions for phone minutes that might save me more money.

Thanks for your input,

Sue

[yassmine2878 1]

Ive heard many a frustrated wife and fiancee post about the sucky phone connections in Egypt for a long time. Although Maroc was slightly better, it was still not without its less-than-stellar moments, too. Usually this is when I would build up an unreasonable amount of panic. Id be unable to get my husband on the phone or net for more than 48 hours and Id turn into a freakberry. OMG, he's been kidnapped, dumped in a river, fallen out of a 30-story building, shot, mugged, sat on by a dinosaur, etc. The female mind can come up with oh so many strange events when we dont know what on earth is going on. All we ask is a decent connection for 5 minutes so we can make sure he's okay.

As for calling cards, Ive had good success with IDT's Global Call, calling cards. Very easy to use and Ive never once been swindled out of minutes. There rates for Egypt are a little steep (59 cents) http://www.idt.net/personal/cards/gc/defau...vat=&name=e but the service is excellent. Hubster also uses the STI brand of calling cards, usually sold at gas stations around here, with decent success. He gets about 30 minutes of blab for 5 bucks.

[Imua 0]

I can relate - the phone service in Nepal just plain sucks... I used to use prepaid phone cards but have switched to pingo.com - the rate is as good as the best phone card I found and the great thing about it is it keeps a record of your calls on the site you can print out and show at the interview. You can also enter your phone numbers so when you call you dont have to enter your userid and pin each time, and there is a speed dial feature so you dont have to dial that long # each time you are disconnected.

[Ahmed & Sue 0]

Thanks to both of you for the input. I am going to check out both suggestions.

And you are right.......don't hear from them for a while, and you go a bit crazy worrying. Glad to hear it is not only me.

Sue

[Zee Bee 61]

It may be extra hard because the African cup is going on. Reaching my fiance has been a nightmare

[Ahmed N Cheryl 0]

Sue,

Yes the connection in Egypt for both phone and internet is related to all the rain. It also depends where your Ahmed is from. My Ahmed is from Damanhour and they lose connection everytime it rains and then some. LOOOOOOOOOL It drives me nuts. We usually talk every morning before I go to work and every night. But for some reason since it turned winter here and slightly colder there and rainy he has lost connection alot. I use SKYPE to call my ahmed. It is 15 cents a min for calling him on his cell phone and 21 or 23 cents a min for his house phone. But I also get he is out of area or phone may be switched off or this number is not supported by skype. But it is not that often...I mean no more than if I use my cell at 2.99 a min. Sometimes the calls drop....but agian no more than when I use my cell. Bottom line is lines in Egypt just suck. Anyway...consider Skype......you can add $10 or $25 at a time and it is a free download. If you are interested or have more questions you can email me. Good Luck!!!

Cheryl

[Ahmed & Sue 0]

Lots of good suggestions, and thank you all for them.

It's just nice to know I am not the only frustrated one.

Sue

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Undersea Cables break Causing Disruption to Egypt

Oh. Yes my frustration is boiling to angry.

Edited January 31, 2008 by Olivia*

[amrssnowangel 0]

Yes, this last week has been worse with the weather there....We usually have very few issues with our phone communications and reception. some but not alot... He is with Mobinil..Im with Cingular (now AT&T). We also use Skype...but its usually for him to call me...it's only .02 cents a minute for THEM to call our cell or landline FROM Egypt...Its more when we call TO Egypt. Go figure...lol...we love it...he can call 3-4 times a day for 5 minutes and we go through about 10 dollars a month...sooooooooooooo cool. We have very few issues though with ringing/sms'ing from our cells. I also use Vonage for my home phone..and can call his cell or landline for .17 cents - .20 cents per minute. I have an unlocked cell..so when I travel to Egypt..he buys me a mobinil number and phone time...so I have the phone number for emergencies to give to family before I go. Then while there...they can call from vonage or skype for cheaper than if I just took my cell service on roaming...also..makes us calling back and forth in Egypt sooooooooooo cheap...(we dont stay in same home when I visit for family belief reasons) I hope this helps someone...

[mendeleev 68]

You know, female isn't the only gender capable of anxious speculative hyperimagation when the phone lines don't work.

The image of a north african husband being sat on by a dinosaur made me smile. It reminded me of the vision that flashed through my mind one cold winter day a couple years ago when, unable to talk with my wife on the phone, a vision of a mammoth barreling into her Siberian town and sweeping her away flashed through my mind.

She in bed asleep in the other room, safely here in Denver.

Hang in there. It does eventually get better and better.

[Ahmed & Sue 0]

Wow,

It's a relief to know I am not the only one. And thanks for adding that you guys worry about us women as much as we worry about you.

I did read where the cable was cut affecting the service. That did play a big role in our internet connections this last week. Granted it probably was much of the trouble with the phones also.

However, thanks to your suggestions, I have found another phone card provider, at a cheaper rate than I was paying, and with much better reception. This past week I have not had a single problem calling and getting through. This is the first time in a long time without connection problems for me. So, this forum has served a much needed purpose. Thank you for that.

And thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to respond. You have helped me out alot. It's easier knowing someone else is going through the same situation.

Many, many thanks,

Sue