PennySim - best invention since ERP, ERP gantries and cashcards

Finally, after some hardworking googling and forum scavenging by yours truly, we heard of this miracle known as PennySim. This service is provided by a company called Pennytel which was introduced to me about a year ago by JB who is currently studying in Tasmania at the moment. This company operates in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and a few other countries of no concern to me.

Initially, LC was resistant to changing to pennysim. I had to be the guinea pig first. After some persuasion and demostration of how great it was, she agreed to let me apply and set it up for her. Now, she loves it so much that she refuses to change back to the old service she was using.

So, how does this PennySim work? It is a actually a sim card that you can slot into any handphone. Almost any phone made in the last 5 years will work with this one. We are charged $8 per month to maintain this sim card on top of any call charges. The plan I am on gives me 8 cents per call back to Singapore.

8 cents per call? That is absolutely right. No typo here. Not 8 cents per minute. It's 8 cents per call whether you talk for 1 second or 2 hours (that's the limit imposed by Pennytel but I am not complaining here). 8 cents per call is dirt cheap. On top of that, pennysim users have free calls to each other. That cuts down our phone bills big time.

Pennysim works like this. Using your hp, you make a call back to pennytel (free) then from there, you dial the international number you want eg: my home. Pennytel will connect both sides using VOIP. I made a tiny diagram here to show that.

Your hp ---(Free call to pennytel)---> Pennytel ----(VOIP to your singapore home number)----> Singapore home

So far I have been using this for a few weeks. The call quality is excellent (especially to a landline), cheap and idiot proof. I am loving it.

For my Singaporean and Malaysian friends, Pennytel has branches in both countries but they do not have PennySim at the moment. So, it is currently not as good as the Australia unless you happen to own a smart/internet enabled phone capable of using the Pennytel applications they have there.

Therefore, PennySim > ERP