Are you living far away from your home country or working remotely? Do you travel frequently or have a presence in another country? If so, you may need a telecommunication system that keeps you connected to the world.
Target users
- Remote workers
- Travelers and tourists
- Digital nomads
- Expats, migrants, and students
- International businesses or businesses with multiple branches
- Transport and logistics companies
- Travel agencies
- …and more!
These users often seek for:
- A local SIM card for making local calls and browsing the internet;
- A solution for receiving calls on their old (home) phone number without paying high roaming fees;
- A low-cost roaming solution;
- A virtual presence with a local phone number in a remote location;
- Low-cost calls.
Solution
So how can this be achieved?
To create a phone system with low-cost or zero-cost calls between two locations, you need the following components:
- VoIP server: a hosted PBX or a small server with Linux and Asterisk PBX onboard. This can be an old computer, Raspberry Pi, OpenWRT router, or VPS server;
- Prepaid SIM card in the current location;
-
DID phone number in the home (or remote for virtual presence) location. DID is a phone number you can get from a VoIP carrier and forward it to your phone system.
Alternatively, you can use an FXO/VoIP box to connect your home phone line or a Raspberry Pi with a GSM USB stick or GSM gateway, utilizing your old SIM card.
Set up call diversion from your home SIM card mobile to the DID number (or keep your SIM card within the GSM gateway).
Configure a SIP account on your softphone and point it to the VoIP server.
Update the dialplan and start receiving calls effortlessly.
Of course, calls work in both directions! In case there is no internet coverage, calls can be sent to the cellphone through a VoIP trunk (and you may have to pay some fee for that, but it’s likely still cheaper than paying roaming fees).
I have been using this method for years and am currently working on a roaming PBX solution that automates various use cases.