The best phone rates

You can start saving immediately using the call by call tariff scheme offered by several telephone service providers. No registration is required and the amount will appear on your regular phone bill under the service provider's name. A note of caution: be vigilant and cross check to ensure that you are not incorrectly billed by your telephone company!

To use call by call, you simply dial a 5 or 6 number prefix and then the complete phone number, i.e. international access code + country code + area code and telephone number, as usual. A phone call to New York city would be dialled thus: 010xx 00 1 212 123-4567. Within Germany, use the area code and telephone number, e.g. 010xx 030 1234567(8) for a call to Berlin. The advantage over signing up for the preselect scheme is that you can retain your current long distance carrier while choosing the best rate on the market at any particular time for the type of call you wish to make.

International Calls

The cost of international calls has fallen so much that it is often less expensive to make an international call than it is to phone someone in Berlin! Providers offering very reasonable international rates include: 010058: Best rate to the US - 1.44 ct/min www.010058.com

For excellent rates, billed to the minute, visit www.billiger-telefonieren.de to obtain the best rate for the day and time you wish to place a call. Simply select the desired country from the drop down menu under "Ferngespräch".

German Long Distance Calls

Fierce competition in the telecommunications market has lead to a drastic drop in both local and intercity rates. These are constantly changing, but a detailed listing of rates ( categorized by time of day ) can be obtained by logging onto www.billiger-telefonieren.de.

Here is a sampling of the best rates available, using the 24 hour clock (please confirm rates, as they are regularly updated):

• Weekdays: It is the best to check these rates, as they are regulary updated and vary with the time of day and carrier.

• Weekends: 0-24h 01070 (arcor) 0.89 ct/min (on 09/28/2006)

• Mobile Phones: 0-24h 01040 10.40ct/min (on 09/28/2006)

The weekday off-peak rates also apply for the carriers above on weekends.