How To Save upto $8,000 on Mobile Calls and Data, in Cambodia!

Just found a way to save a bundle on mobile usage when travelling in Cambodia!

As the international roaming call and data rates are terrible! (from Optus)

Primary savings:
- Receiving calls from Australia to your standard mobile number (at $0.09 per minute, as opposed to $1.65 per minute)
- Data usage abroad - being able to send and receive email, use social media and other apps (at US$0.10 per MB, as opposed to $20 per MB)

Required:
- Node Phone (Free with Internode, including $10 worth of calls per month). Other ISP's may have a similar VOIP product and service.
- Unlocked iPhone (Free to unlock with Optus, for Post-Paid customers)
- SIM card with Star-Cell (Cambodian carrier)

To receive calls:
1. Divert mobile number to Node Phone.
2. Divert Node Phone to a Cambodian mobile number (Star-Cell SIM can be picked up in Cambodia).

Calling rates from Node Phone to a Cambodian mobile number are only $0.09 per minute (with a $0.15 flagfall), as opposed to $1.65 per minute to receive calls (plus a $0.50 roaming charge).

For data:
Data plans with the Cambodian Star-Cell carrier are cheap!

Data rates are only USD$0.10 per MB or US$10 per 400MB. As opposed to the Optus roaming rate of $20 per MB, or $8,000 per 400MB.

Enjoy!


PS. Outgoing calls are planned to be made from Skype (via PC or via Skype iPhone app), and I am looking into SMS forwarding software, to alleviate the need to use the original SIM card.

Further information:
- Internode Node Phone
- Unlock iPhone for free with Optus (for Post-Paid customers)
- Star-Cell data plans