Phone Calls

First time travelers to India will at some point in their journey get a crash course in calling home. Below are some tips to save time, money and hassle.

Cell phones

If you carry a cell phone that is useable worldwide, then you simply need to switch out your SIM card once you arrive in India. SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards can be purchased at any mobile phone shop and many merchants scattered throughout major cities. Ask any taxi driver or local and they can point you in the right direction. You will need to provide a copy of your passport and India Visa and a passport photo. Fortunately it is rather easy to find these copy and passport photo services in larger cities or districts if you have come empty handed.

Landline Telephone

For those that are relying on good old fashioned land-line technology, you’ll need to follow a few simple procedures to make your telephone call successful. Most mid-range to high-end hotels offer in-room calling but typically at high rates. For cheaper calling, head out onto the streets of virtually any city or village you may be and look for signs that read: S.T.D. I.S.D. P.C.O.

S.T.D. / STD : Subscriber Trunk Dialing- Local and long distance calls within India

I.S.D. / ISD : International Subscriber Dialing- International calls worldwide

P.C.O. / PCO : Public Call Office- Calls within India- phone booth manned or unmanned

Commonly referred to as STD’s, these phone booths are easily spotted by their yellow signs. Some buildings are even painted completely yellow to attract customers. In order to call out of India, you are looking for an STD that offers ISD service. No need to know Hindi or the local language, simply ask the merchant ISD? They generally will point to the phone you can use. Smaller places may only have one telephone, larger shops may have one or two but only one will have ISD access.

Calling out of India

To call U.S.A. from India:

Dial 001 (US Country Code)  + Area Code + Number

Example: my US number is 555-555-1212. Dial 001-555-555-1212

You’ll notice a LED screen located around the phone at STD’s. This readout initially shows you the number dialed. Once connected it will flip over to length of call and cost of call. Be sure to check this as you hang up so you can compare with the clerk when paying for your call. Most places print out a small slip with the payment due as displayed from the screen. However, some less scrupulous places will try to add charges or refuse to show you the print out. Simply hold to the number on the screen as there are no additional charges.

Calling to India

Phone numbers in India are slightly different from the U.S.A. Landline numbers are 6-8 digits long while the City Codes are 2-4 digits in length. The total length of all phone numbers is constant at 10 digits.

To call India from U.S.A.:

Dial 011 (US Exit Code) + 91 (IN Country Code)  + City Code + Number

Example: my India number is 11-1234-5678. Dial 011 + 91+ 11+ 1234 5678

The above number is for Delhi as represented by the City Code 11

Mobile Numbers:

Dial 011 (US Exit Code) + 91 (IN Country Code)  + 9 + Mobile Number (9 digits)

Example: my India number is 7-1234 5678. Dial 011 + 91+ 97+1234 5678

© 2009 FullStopIndia.com India Travel Blog

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