Long Distance Posts prepaid international cell phone service is targeted to travelers and companies that manage fleets of phones overseas.

Long Distance Post, a distributor of prepaid mobile phones, this week introduced a prepaid international cell phone service that allows users to talk on their phones overseas without incurring roaming charges.
Long Distance Post is offering international travelers a prepaid Subscriber Identity Module card, called OneSIMCard, which can be inserted in a phone and used overseas to make phone calls. OneSIMCard works in over 140 countries and provides up to 85% lower rates than other SIM cards on the market, according to the company.

The card is compatible with triband or quadband phones that use GSM, GPRS, and 3G cellular technologies. OneSIMCard comes with subscriber information, security features, and storage.

The other option is to rent or buy a mobile phone with global capabilities that already has the card inserted. The renting option is best for those who plan to take a short trip abroad and need a phone for less than 15 days.

Long Distance Post said it doesnt charge customers a monthly fee for its service and allows them to keep a phone number as long as they need to. The company also offers options specifically for businesses that need to manage a fleet of mobile phones overseas. Businesses can view or change their employees card balances, set SIM card options, block or unlock a SIM card, reassign cards to new users, or send text messages to groups of people.

The standalone SIM card costs $40 and includes a $10 initial airtime balance. Cell phones sold by Long Distance Post with OneSIMCard already included start at $99.95 (for a Siemens A70 triband global phone). Weekly fees for renting a mobile phone from Long Distance Post range depending on the phone model selected.

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206801109&subSection=All+Stories

Almost one fifth of European households have gone completely wireless, curring off their landline telephone subscriptions to use mobile phones alone, according to a recent study by the EU’s statistical office.

Eurostat reported that there were 95 wireless subscriptions per 100 EU inhabitants as of 2005, up from just 8 per 100 in 1996, and that 18% of households had mobile phones only as of late 2006. The data includes all 27 EU countries, with the exceptions of Bulgaria and Romania, which only joined the Union this year.

Eurostat concluded that central and eastern European countries, especially ex-communist states, tended to have more households relying solely on mobile phones. 42% of Czech Republic households were without landline service, for example, compared to just 11% in Germany. This is because most of the former communist countries that joined the EU in 2004 have much less developed landline infrastructure than their western European counterparts.

Source: http://www.teleclick.ca/2007/12/18-of-european-households-use-mobile-phones-only/