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The Foxy Phone Page
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info page
 how to save up to 90% with calls from German public payphones
detailed guide & rate comparison for using OPEN CALL-THROUGH
Last Update: 24 Aug 2010
this site is published for information purposes only - all statements without any warranty
Visiting Germany soon? How to manage your telecom affairs during your stay...
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Detailed Guide
YOUR benefit from German telecommunication liberalization:
calling the world at rates from only EURO € 0.30 (approx. US-$ 0.39) per minute
-available from German public payphones-
-no sign-up, subscription or extra contract necessary-
-no invest in a prepaid card necessary-
-just dial and pay-

Tourists visiting Germany usually don't know anything about the policy of German telecommunication liberalization, which started in 1998. Consequently, they can't enjoy the advantages this policy has brought along. Asking Germans about how to benefit when using a public payphone will probably be a fruitless exercise: they are unlikely to know, as they would mostly only know about cheaper services for private phones. Unfortunately, most of these services are not available from public payphones.

So, here is how to save up to 90% (!!!) with calls from German public payphones.

Step #1
Get prepared for using a German public payphone.
Some payphones accept € coins.
Other payphones accept credit cards (additional fee of € 1 per call).
Most payphones accept phonecards, which are offered for example
in German post offices or T-Punkt shops.
There are two card types available: cards for € 5 and cards for € 10.

Step #2
Insert coins (or the credit card or the phonecard) in the payphone's slot.
When using coins or phonecard:
See the display to check how much credit you (still) have.
Credit is displayed in €.

Step #3
Make your call - you have two options:
(1) the conventional way - use Deutsche Telekom as your carrier
(2) the foxy way - use an alternative carrier
Deutsche Telekom is the former German state telecommunications authority, which is now (almost) fully privatized.
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F.A.Q. - frequently asked questions
  1. about this site...
    2.
  2. making calls...
    3.
  3. no sign-up...
    4.
  4. anonymous service...
    5.
  5. billing...
    6.
  6. charging fairness...
    7.
  7. countries to reach...
    8.
  8. rates differ...
    9.
  9. more access numbers...
    10.
  10. availability in Germany...
    11.
  11. availability from abroad...
    12.
  12. payment for provider...
    13.
  13. number of providers listed...
    14.
  14. providers in other countries (besides Germany)...
    15.
  15. online directory of German phone numbers...
    16.
  16. FREE dialup internet access...
    17.
  17. cheap communication opportunities for your stay in Germany
    18.
to FAQ overview
1
Q:What's this site about?
A: This site shows you how to save up to 90% with international long distance calls from German public payphones using OPEN CALL-THROUGH, a phone service available to anyone without the need for a sign-up.
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2
Q:How do I make a call using OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: The basic procedure is always the same:
• first dial the OPEN CALL-THROUGH provider's access number
• then dial the country code
• then dial the rest of the number (incl. area code)
Dialing MUST be done using tone-dialing-method (pulse-dialing-method won't work!). German payphones use the tone-dialing-method.
Detailed step-by-step dialing instructions - specific for each access number - are listed in the rate comparison section.
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3
Q:Do I have to sign-up in order to use OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: No.
It's an "open service", which means that it's instantly available for everyone without the need for a sign-up.
Just dial and pay.
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4
Q:Do I have to tell anyone about my name, address or account information in order to use OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: No.
OPEN CALL-THROUGH is an anonymous, instantly available service.
No sign-up, subscription or extra contract is necessary in order to use it.
So there is no need to give such information to anyone.
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5
Q:How works the billing procedure?
A: The billing method for OPEN CALL-THROUGH is similar to the method when using a public payphone in the conventional way:
• you will be charged automatically during your call in steps of € 0.10
• billing stops at the end of your call
Compared to the conventional way there's just one disadvantage:
• charging starts already when getting connected to the service
Putting up with that, you'll enjoy extremely low rates compared to conventional payphone rates.
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6
Q:Isn't it unfair that charging starts already when getting connected to the CALL-THROUGH provider?
A: This has technical and billing reasons.
If you feel that being too risky, then don't use these services and don't save up to 90% compared to conventional payphone rates.
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7
Q:Can I reach every country using OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: No, but the list of available destinations is quite long:
Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesch, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China (P.R.), Christmas Island, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Diego Garcia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Fiji Islands, Finland, France, French Guayana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi-Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Pierre and Miquelon, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S.A. (incl. Alaska & Hawaii), U.S. Virgin Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Please see the rate comparison section for access numbers and tariff details.
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8
Q:The rates shown on your site differ from those published on the CALL-THROUGH providers' sites! How come?
A: Rates shown on the CALL-THROUGH providers' sites are valid only for calls from German private phones, if not stated otherwise.
Rates shown on The Foxy Phone Page are valid for calls from German public payphones, operated by Deutsche Telekom.
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9
Q:More access numbers are shown on the CALL-THROUGH providers' sites! Why don't you publish these numbers?
A: Additional numbers listed on the CALL-THROUGH providers' sites cover only a subset of the destinations to be found in the rate comparison section and won't bring you any additional financial benefit. So there is no need to list them here.
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10
Q:Can I use OPEN CALL-THROUGH from every phone in Germany?
A: Yes.
For calls from private German phones you may often save even more using OPEN CALL-BY-CALL.
See foreign country rates to find the cheapest carrier for calls from German private phones to individual countries.
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11
Q:Can I use OPEN CALL-THROUGH from MY phone in MY country?
A: Yes. That's a very smart idea.
Doing that you pay only the rate for a call to Germany, but you can reach ALL destinations listed above. Just try out!
Here is how to connect to a German CALL-THROUGH service from abroad:
• first dial the country code for Germany: +49
• then dial the access number WITHOUT the leading zero
• then proceed as listed in the "step-by-step dialing instructions" in the rate comparison section.
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12
Q:Who pays the CALL-THROUGH provider when I use OPEN CALL-THROUGH from my phone in my country?
A: He will be paid by your local provider. Seen from your eyes, the complete connection is paid with the rate you pay for a call to Germany.
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13
Q:Why do you publish just a few German providers of OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: The reason is simple: there are no additional German providers of Open Call-Through - as far as we know.
Many more companies are offering the Open Call-By-Call service, which is only available from German private phones operated by Deutsche Telekom, but unfortunately not from public payphones.
Background information: list of German companies offering Open Call-By-Call...
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14
Q:Do you know about companies in other countries (besides Germany) offering OPEN CALL-THROUGH?
A: Yes:
•in Austria you may wish to use BilligNet, FuchsTarife, happyTel, TeleDiscount, ViennaCollect
•in Belgium you may wish to use 123bel, BelBOB, DirectBellen, pennyphone
•in Finland you may wish to use Call99577, Globetel, Scandicom, TeleAle
•in France you may wish to use AppelDiscount, AppelLeMonde, BonnesMinutes, CouCouTel, TeleRabais
•in Greece you may wish to use Hello!, Viva 14801
•in Ireland you may wish to use Century Access, CHEAP CALLS, Cheap Chat
•in Italy you may wish to use EasyCall, SaldiTel, TeleSconto
•in the Netherlands you may wish to use one of the companies listed on the site Televergelijk
•in Norway you may wish to use NorwayTel, TELESPARE
•in Poland you may wish to use AleNumer, Eurofon, gadasz.pl, InterTelefon, MójNumer, netia 0708, TeleGadka
•in Spain you may wish to use 7 TEL, chollofón, DialAbroad, ECONOMITEL, Espantel, ICallCheap/TelefonoBarato, SpeedLine (Teleconnect)
•in Switzerland you may wish to use Discountel, FernCALL, Helvatel, RAPTEL, TELESWISS, Tieftarife
•in the United Kingdom you may wish to use one of the companies listed on the sites Cheapest International Calls, Our Favourite UK Telephone Companies, The Nifty List
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15
Q:I'm looking for a certain German phone number. Which service number can I dial from a German public payphone to request this number?
A: Deutsche Telekom offers services in three languages for phone number requests:
• dial 11837 for getting connected to an operator speaking English
• dial 11836 for getting connected to an operator speaking Turkish
• dial 11833 for getting connected to an operator speaking German
At a German public payphone you will be charged for this service at € 1.00 per minute (€ 0.10 every 6 seconds, minimum fee is € 1.00).
Multilingual search engines for German and international phone numbers - including reverse search - are ixquick Phone Search and wayp.
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16
Q:I would like to have access to the internet during my stay in Germany. Are there cheap or even FREE possibilities, available without sign-up?
A: Yes.
Arcor-Internet by Call local is a FREE dialup internet access service, available without sign-up. You just pay for the phone call (normal land-line phone rate applies).
Here are some of their access numbers (sorted by phone number):
• 0211 649 9962 (from abroad dial +49 - 211 - 649 - 9962) [Duesseldorf]
• 0221 320 7277 (from abroad dial +49 - 221 - 320 - 7277) [Cologne]
• 0231 150 2927 (from abroad dial +49 - 231 - 150 - 2927) [Dortmund]
• 030 2870 7360 (from abroad dial +49 - 30 - 2870 - 7360) [Berlin]
• 040 8817 0816 (from abroad dial +49 - 40 - 8817 - 0816) [Hamburg]
• 0511 203 4743 (from abroad dial +49 - 511 - 203 - 4743) [Hanover]
• 069 4786 4876 (from abroad dial +49 - 69 - 4786 - 4876) [Frankfurt]
• 06221 728 623 (from abroad dial +49 - 6221 - 728 - 623) [Heidelberg]
• 0711 389 6464 (from abroad dial +49 - 711 - 389 - 6464) [Stuttgart]
• 089 9547 6535 (from abroad dial +49 - 89 - 9547 - 6535) [Munich]
• 0911 132 5385 (from abroad dial +49 - 911 - 132 - 5385) [Nuremberg]
username: arcor
password: internet
Happy surfing!
 
SUGGESTION: Feel free to try this service already now - from home, prior to your stay in Germany.
Just dial (one of) the stated "abroad" numbers listed above.
Just the normal land line phone rate for a call to Germany applies.
Doing so, you are sure that it will work during your stay in Germany.
And: you get used to the service already now.
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17
Q:I will soon visit Germany. Which opportunities will I have to stay in contact with my friends at home?
A: See Dial-Up in Germany - a micro guide for visitors and tourists for a brief overview about the possibilities to stay in contact with your friends at home during your stay in Germany.
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linguistic advice courtesy of
David Bagshaw		flags courtesy of
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http://www.foxyphone.de
http://foxyphone.tarife-fuer-ferngespraeche.de
Wolfgang Lübke, D-40724 Hilden, Germany