SunRocket just emailed me with an interesting release. The PR firm representing Sunrocket said to me, "I wanted to share the following announcement with you because there seems to be a transition happening with international calling rates. With new VoIP prices, like the ones below, people are able to place calls internationally for the same price as, or less than, long distance calls within their country. It will be interesting to see how traditional phone companies respond to this disruptive new pricing model."

They announced the creation of SunRocket SunSpots, a group of 31 countries plus an additional 10 major foreign cities that qualify for SunRocket’s international calling rate of three cents per minute. Three cents per minute isn't bad, however I've seen competitors include several countries in their unlimited plans so you pay $0 cents per minute when calling certain international countries.

Nevertheless, for some people unlimited plans don't make economic sense, especially if you use under 1000 minutes per month. Also, your unlimited plan may not include some countries you call, so you may pay more than Sunrocket's $0.03 per minute. Every customer is different, so you really need to measure your calling habits and do some comparison shopping. Here's the release from Sunrocket which explains their new pricing model.

SUNROCKET SUNSPOTS^SM SET NEW VALUE STANDARD FOR INTERNATIONAL CALLING

Internet phone service firm offers new customers 55 free hours of calling to SunRocket SunSpot destinations

VIENNA, VA – November 10, 2005 – SunRocket, one of the nation’s fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, today announced the creation of SunRocket SunSpots^sm, a group of 31 countries plus an additional 10 major foreign cities that qualify for SunRocket’s best international calling rate of three cents per minute. Consumers can slash their international phone bills by 95% or more by switching to SunRocket, where all customers receive $3 worth of free international calling every month, in addition to unlimited free calling to Canada and Puerto Rico. This benefit provides 100 minutes of free calls to any SunRocket SunSpot destination every month.

Through November 21, customers who sign up for SunRocket’s all-inclusive Annual Edition, which offers a full year of service at a flat rate of $199, can experience even more dramatic savings by receiving $100 worth of free international minutes during the year – a breakthrough value that translates to over 55 free hours of calling to popular SunRocket SunSpot destinations throughout the world.

“The Internet is bringing the world closer in so many ways, and our Internet phone service dramatically reduces the cost to connect family and friends in far off places,” said Joyce Dorris, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at SunRocket. “SunRocket members don’t need to place calls from their computer to enjoy free calls to loved ones around the globe. Members can just pick up the phone, dial any phone anywhere in the world, and enjoy free or steeply-discounted calling.”
 

The savings over traditional phone providers are dramatic, easily exceeding 95% for consumers who make an hour or two of international calls each month, even against the fee-based discount plans offered by companies like Verizon and SBC. For example, an hour of calls to China under Verizon’s basic international rates would cost over $300, and $10 under Verizon’s best-priced international plan (including the $4 plan fee). With SunRocket, those calls could be included at no extra charge if the total calling for the month were less than the $3 free monthly calling allowance. The chart below demonstrates the significant attainable savings with SunRocket: 

 * Verizon International Choice Plan with City Rates (effective as of November 7, 2005)

** SBC International Saver II Plan (effective as of November 7, 2005)

“SunRocket was created as a beacon for fair prices and fair play,” said Paul Erickson, chairman and co-founder of SunRocket. “Unlike old phone companies, all our customers enjoy our best international calling rates. It is reprehensible that fat cats like Verizon and SBC fleece their unsuspecting customers with per-minute charges that are 100 times more than their cost. Thousands of consumers are flocking to Internet phone service to escape these unjustified practices, and SunRocket stands ready to serve them.”

SunRocket SunSpot^sm destinations include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the Vatican, plus the following cities: Caracas, Guadalajara, Helsinki, Lima, Mexico City, Monterrey, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, St. Petersburg, and Sao Paulo.