If you routinely call Africa from the USA, you may be getting hit with huge bills from your phone carrier. With the fast development of the telecommunications market comes many opportunities to make savings so it really pays to stay on top and check out your options.  It is not simply an assumption to state that your traditional carrier is no longer the most optimal choice. 

With a traditional carrier

To place a call to Africa, you must follow these steps:

1. Dial 011 (This is the international access code for calls from the US.)

2. Dial the country code (For example, Ethiopia is 251.)

3. Dial the area code (This is two digits; cellular numbers start with 9.)

4. Dial the phone number (This is seven digits.)

Of course, calls to different African countries have different characteristics. Rates can vary greatly from country to country. Here’s a handy comparison chart to help you choose the best service for you.

*rates displayed are an average over the last calendar year, shown as price-per-minute.

If you call Africa very often, obviously an app like Skype or Rebtel will save you considerable money over traditional carriers like Verizon or AT&T. The added convenience of apps is that they can be run from your PC, tablet or Smartphone, and if you use Wi-Fi you won’t even eat up your data plan.

You also won’t have to deal with monthly fees, which are basically mandatory with most big carriers if you want to access their ‘lowest’ rates for international calling. While Skype does require a small connection fee, and call quality is not always the best, many people love the service. However, Rebtel is quickly gaining ground with their transparent pricing, lack of hidden fees and ease of use with excellent call quality.

So if you are one of those who still pay extortionate rates for your calls to Africa from the US, consider switching to a service like Rebtel today. You’ll be making instant savings!