The UK division of Orange, the wireless carrier operation of France Telecom, has introduced the world's first fixed rate tariffs for global roaming calls. From 1 Februay, UK Orange contract subscribers will be charged new easy-to-understand rates for their roamed, as well as international outbound phone calls. The idea is to make the task of working out how much calls cost when roaming a lot simpler and avoid the need to hop between networks to get the best deal. The new fixed rate roaming call costs follow on from Vodafone's Eurocall option for its subscribers. Under the Orange international and roaming calls program, the carrier has divided the world into five zones: Ireland, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and the rest of the world. International calls from the UK range from 15 to 80 pence (EUR 0.23 to 1.24), while roamed follow-me (received) calls range from 20 to 80 pence (EUR 0.31 to 1.20). Outbound international calls made while roaming will cost from 40 to 130 pence (EUR 0.62 to 2.00). All the rates include sales tax (VAT), if appropriate, the carrier said, and are available in all 110 countries Orange phones can be used in, subject to handset requirements.
