It’s possible to make international direct dialling (IDD) calls to most countries from both private and public telephones. To make an international call, you first need to dial 00, then the country code, the area code (the first zero) and the subscriber’s number.
If direct dialling isn’t possible, international dialling assistance can be obtained through an operator by calling 0123. There’s no international directory enquiries service, although the operator may be able to assist. If you have internet access, it’s usually easier to find an online telephone directory for the country you need.
BTC has seven tariff levels for international calls:
Calls to the UK, US, Australia, Canada and most European countries come under Tariff 1 (the cheapest) and cost either 0.3 lev (€0.15), 0.927 lev (€0.46), or 1.145 lev (€0.58) depending on your call plan.
Other telephone providers have different tariff structures for international calls. Most alternative providers also offer a variety of discount plants, such as half price on all calls to a designated ‘favourite country’ or to specific overseas phone numbers frequently called.
International providers
To obtain an operator from one of the major US telephone companies, dial 00 800 00 10 (AT&T), 00 800 10 10 (Sprint) or 00 800 00 01 (MCI Worldphone).
These companies offer overseas calling cards that provide access to an English-speaking operator, and AT&T offers a ‘USA Direct’ service, whereby you can call an operator in any state (except Alaska).
Orbitel, a private Bulgarian telephone service provider, recently launched a service called Orbiphone 01001, allowing overseas calls at cheap rates, although the service is prepaid.
You can register your telephone number on Orbitel's website (www.orbitel.bg/en ) and pay by debit card online or at a Post Bank. Alternatively, pre-paid international phone cards can be bought from kiosks and corner shops.
If you don't have a fixed or mobile phone, you can make cheap calls from internet cafés and phone kiosks, although calls are often made with an ‘internet phone’ and quality varies considerably according to the country you’re calling.
Voice over IP
Many people who have the internet at home are using a relatively new service called Skype (www.skype.com ) to make international calls. Skype, which requires broadband connection, uses a technology called ‘voice over internet protocol’ (VoIP), allowing people with a Skype account to talk to each other free over the internet.
You can use headphones plugged into your computer’s sound output socket or a VoIP telephone plugged into a USB port; cordless models are available. If you want to call someone on a fixed or mobile phone, you can use a subscription service called SkypeOut. Another service called SkypeIn allows people to call you from ordinary telephones anywhere in the world.
Many Bulgarian internet companies are beginning to offer VoIP services, so if you plan to make a lot of international calls, it’s worth shopping around.
This is an extract from Survival Books’ Living in Bulgaria.
This article is an extract from Buying a Home in Bulgaria
from Survival Books.