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Difficulty Calling Ukraine
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Posted by: lester

Anyone with experience of this?

When I phone Ukraine, I hear the ring tone,usually 4 or 5 times, then pip.2 seconds pause, pip 2 seconds pause, pip.
this is for about 5 pips, then nothing!
This happens quite often, even after we have spoken and I call back later.
Is this common?
Anyone else suffer this?

ps. I use BT landline, my mobile,Orange, is no good at all!

Thanks.

Posted by: rtking

I find that this occurs with me as well. Sometimes I don't even hear a ring tone before Olga answers. It's all very random.

Also, sometimes I can speak for 2 minutes before being disconnected and othertimes I can speak for 34 minutes before being disconnected. 34 minutes seems to be the limit for the service I use (nobelcom.)

Bob

Posted by: lester

Thanks for the reply Bob,

When I was in Odessa, and calling from hotel,
I never heard this pip.sound at all.

Maybe the phone system will be improved upon
now the political side of things are changing.
Lets hope so!

Posted by: mtbclay

I have experienced the same thing calling Sevastopol. About half of the time I can't connect at all. Especially to her cell phone. Then when we talk if I can hear her she can't hear me very well and visa versa. The times when we both can hear each other well the call drops after about 2 minutes. The funny thing though we can send text messages with no problem at all, go figure. Of course like everything else in pursuing a long distance relationship it is an exercise in patience. However the end result will be well worth it.

Posted by: MICHAELZ

Hello, just to let you know I call Ukraine 3 times a week and talk over an hour. Most of the time its pretty clear and only dropped a few calls. Calling card is from 5star at http://www.5starscall.com/default.asp

The service is great and the price cheap, 12.5 cents a minute from your home, cell phone or office. Get the pinless one with no fees of any kind. If you need more info, email me or im me. take care Michael

Posted by: mtbclay

Thanks Michael

Posted by: fly4fun

Just had a weekend of frustation making phone calls to Ukraine. I guess we are spoiled in the USA but I was seldom able to connect and when I could, I could barely make out what was being said.
I am using Nobelcom but wondered if there was any difference in level of service at Nobelcom or is it all this bad??

Are there othe alternatives that are better or is it just on the Ukraine end of things...

Any input will be helpful..
Thanks
Bob

Posted by: rtking

Fly4fun,

I have problems calling Ukraine at times also. I thought it was Nobelcom, but I'm finding that it's probably either a satellite or copper-wire bandwidth issue. I'm not sure. I switched to Vonage which works great everywhere, but I have problems calling Ukraine still. I tried using my Verizon telephone service (which is getting disconnected in favor of Vonage's VoIP service) and I still had problems connecting. I think the problem exists on the Ukraine side since I can call friends in New York and Taiwan without any issues.

Bob

Posted by: fly4fun

I wonder if the same problem exists when calling a Ukraine based cell phone?
I might consider getting one for lady friend and nope, not worried about being scammed. Just whether it's even worth the money and effort. Not cheap, just hate paying for something that doesn't work. LOL
I have no idea as to how the Ukraine cell system is set up so the problem might still exist even using a cell as you might still be connecting using part of a hard wired system?

Bob

Posted by: rtking

I call Olga on her cell phone since the student's hostel doesn't have hard-wired phones to each room. I still have problems calling. I think it's just international incoming and outgoing calls. Calling within the country doesn't seem to be a problem. That leads me to believe that it's a satellite based problem.

Bob

Posted by: mtbclay

I have a little better luck call my GF's cell phone than I do her home phone. But with the cell phone I still get poor quality and dropped calls. I have had better reuslts with Jupiter calling card calling her cell phone and ID Phonecard calling her home than with others I have tried. I tried NobelCom and it did not work as well.
The adavantage with the cell phone is being able to send text messages. As far as buying the cell phone I looked at it from the perspective that it costs nearly a hundred dollars to send flowers. So why not a hundred for a cell phone that will be much more useful than the flowers. Although the flowers serve a purpose as well.
As I have mentioned before I feel that buying her a cell phone was about the best hundred bucks I have ever spent.

Clay

Posted by: fly4fun

I hadn't told my lady friend about the possible cell phone deal (and I wasn't asked for one) but thought I'd check it out as an option. Doesn't sound like it's that much of an improvement over land lines.
Although text messaging is a plus it's not that much different than email for me.
I may try another calling card and see if it gets any better.

Related question. Is there an optimum time to call in everyone's experience? I think both of us would opt for clearer calling, less often, even at an inconvient time.

Bob

Posted by: FlashingEyes

One thing that can help with connections to Ukraine and other FSU countries - figure out when 10pm is and don't call from then till an hour to an hour and a half afterwards. The rates go down after 10pm and in-country calls spike. The same problem can occur on the weekends but at least then it's not everyone waiting till after 10pm, then all calling at once!

Posted by: mtbclay

Hi all,

My GF called me today directly from her home phone and the quality was good except for some static and the call did not drop. I do not know how much the call cost. I am sure it was not cheap. But again the quality was good. I sent her some money to use so she could call me anytime if she wants. She tried to find a calling card, but was having difficulty so she opted for the direct call to see how it would work.

I am going to sign up for ATT/Cingular international calling plan and see how well it works. The package is 3.99 per month and .26 per minute, Cingular's calling plan is 3.99 and .25 per minute. Both offer 1.99 per minute roaming in Ukraine with the plan. More expensive than the calling cards but I feel if this works better I am willing to pay the price.

I agree with Flashing Eyes that the phones are busier after to 10 PM. As far as the cell phone I think the quality is better than land lines.

Clay

Posted by: MICHAELZ

Read your post, the ATT and Cinglular plans sound good, but cost double the cost of the card. If you can afford it, go for it. Also, from Ukraine to USA costs about 5-6 hryvna (.90 - 1.10) per minute as my GF is also from Ukraine, but when you talk and talk, it adds up. We sometime talk for two hours, thank God for the 12.5 cents per minute with 5star. Granted sometimes the quality isnt great, but just redial and try to get another connection. You will save in the long run, unless you got the money to spend. Myself I am just a lowly civil servant. take care and Poka!

Posted by: mtbclay

MichaelZ

Ya I understand about not having the extra money to spend, I am just a blue collar man. but I am going to try the Cingular route to see how it works.
I am just so frustrated with redialing and trying to get a good connection and then if I get a good connection the call drops so if I can get a better quality I will spend a little extra. Though I don't spend as much time on the phone as you do, so I can understand your point. I think we will spend less time because we won't have to repeat things and only get parts of what each other is saying.

Clay

Posted by: MICHAELZ

Good Luck my friend. I hope the Ukrainian government will fix those phones someday.. Mike

Posted by: ShermanAtlanta

I was spending about $40 a week calling Lena while I waited for her arival. I finally saw the light and sent her parents money to buy a computer and internet access. Now they can talk all day for free using Skype. Great investment for us. The phones are of little use in Ukraine. If you are serious about communicating, just spend the bucks for a computer or send a laptop. We send her parents a package of stuff every month. Usually about 50 lbs. It costs about 90 cents a pound. Takes about 7 weeks to arrive. Good luck.
Sherman and Lena

Posted by: EnkiTel

Quote:

Originally posted by fly4fun
I wonder if the same problem exists when calling a Ukraine based cell phone?
I might consider getting one for lady friend and nope, not worried about being scammed. Just whether it's even worth the money and effort. Not cheap, just hate paying for something that doesn't work. LOL
I have no idea as to how the Ukraine cell system is set up so the problem might still exist even using a cell as you might still be connecting using part of a hard wired system?

Bob

NobelCom seems to be having quality issues all over, not just Ukraine. We had a bunch of customers switch over from their enjoy prepaid to the Peanuts service in recent months.

On the other hand, Ukraine is notoriously difficult to connect to, especially to the outlying towns.