When users are abroad they simply type in an activation code to divert calls from their regular mobile number to their AwayPhone.

Users should remember to cancel the activation when they return home to avoid unnecessary charges. AwayPhone works best as a rider to existing mobile contracts. Users should use their own phone at home to take advantage of the inclusive text and call bundles that most operators provide.

AwayPhone uses ring back for outgoing calls. Users make a call, which is dropped, before users are rung back. So, after you place a call the phone rings and you're told to hold the line by a recorded message before the other person answers and the call connects.

The process feels a bit odd at first, but it's not too hard to get used to.

Hanging on the telephone

AwayPhone's coverage is far from perfect - although it's never experienced the kind of network unavailability problems that bedeviled Skype last week. Call quality is generally worse than a standard mobile connection, and this sometimes causes problems with a conversation. The network is unable occasionally to place calls, although such "outages" rarely last long. Also, I have encountered crosstalk a couple of times, in my four months with the service.

I suspect a lot of my problems come from living in an area with relatively poor mobile coverage. I think the service would work a lot better for users who commute\ between, London and Madrid, say, or Brussels.

The service also lacks one important ingredient: caller line identification. Users are unable to see who is calling them or even which country the call comes from. People you call locally don't see your local number. Currently, incoming calls show up as "unknown", "private", or occasionally from a gateway number that's not the one actually calling you. AwayPhone is working on providing Caller Line Identification (CLI).

This lack of CLI doesn't interfere with sending text messages, however, which show up as numbers on your home network assigned to AwayPhone. Recipients can reply to these messages at local rates.

Despite these niggles, I plan to stick with AwayPhone - I liked the service enough to sign on as a paid user when my two-month trial expired.

AwayPhone is a pioneer in reducing Europe's outrageous mobile roaming prices. In April this year, European Commissioners passed a ruling capping roaming tariffs within the EU. But roaming prices in the world remain high. ®

Benefits

• Big savings on international and mobile roaming call charges
• A local contact number
• Responsive support

Shortcomings:

• Call quality and reliability not as good as regular mobile service
• Lack of caller line identity means you're never sure who you're talking to

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