New study on calling habits for Cameroonians in the US‏

First-Ever Report on U.S. Calling Habits to Cameroon Finds Call Quality and Ease of Use More Important Than Lower Rates When Choosing International Phone Service.

San Francisco – April 15, 2010 - A new study issued this month shows several remarkable changes in the ways people in the U.S. are communicating with family and friends in the central western African Republic of Cameroon.

The research, provided by the Internet phone company, Rebtel shows several fascinating facts and findings based on its calling volume in the first three months of 2010.

• Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays are the days that most Cameroonians abroad call home.
• The largest number of calls to Cameroon from the U.S. originate in Maryland, Texas, Georgia and California.
• The vast majority of calls go to mobile phones vs. landlines.
• Average call duration to Cameroon from the U.S. is just 5.6 minutes.

Among the more than 1,000 survey respondents, 85.9% of calls are to family, 12.3% are to friends, and only 1.8% call business associates in Cameroon, where MTM Mobile and Orange Mobile are the hands-down leading mobile phone providers.MyPleasure

Top U.S. Cities Calling Cameroon:

1.     West Maryland (Silver Spring, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Camp Springs, Prince George's County)

2.     Houston, Tx.

3.     Atlanta, Ga. and suburbs

4.     Oklahoma City

5.     East Maryland (Baltimore, Annapolis, Chesapeake Bay area, Ocean City)

6.     Dallas, Tx.

7.     Washington, D.C.

8.     St. Paul, Minn.

9.     West Los Angeles (Beverly Hills, West Hollywood)

10.  Fort Worth, Tx.

"Reliable and clear connections, combined with service ease of use and low rates are driving a significant increase in international calling to Cameroon from the U.S. on Rebtel," said Andreas Bernström, Rebtel CEO.

Of the Cameroonians participating in the survey, 78.8% said Rebtel call quality was noticeably better than other phone services for calling family in Cameroon; 86% said Rebtel was easier to use.  And just over half – 50.2% – said Rebtel rates consistently beat the competition.

Starting this month Rebtel, which works with any carrier or phone, cut its calling rates to 15.5 cents per minute to landlines in Cameroon and 20 cents per minute to mobile phones, representing a 3% and 15% reduction respectively.

By comparison, Skype charges 32.8 cents per minute to landlines in Cameroon and 31.4 to mobile phones.  AT&T charges 49 cents per minute to landlines in Cameroon and 61 to mobile phones for customers who pay $3.99 a month for an international calling plan.  And calling cards, which promise outlandishly low rates per minute, are tough to figure out actual cost because the small print reveals hidden charges such as 3 minute rounding, per minute surcharges, connection fees, and weekly fees.

Founded in 2006, Stockholm-based Rebtel was established to give people around the world an alternative to mobile operators' rip-off rates for making international calls. Today, thousands of Cameroonians living in the U.S. use Rebtel every day to call family at home.

Rebtel has been ranked No.1 in international calling by Technology Appraisals and has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and The International Herald Tribune for its unique calling service.

About Rebtel
Rebtel is an Internet phone company that makes it possible to use any phone in 50 countries to call anywhere in the world for just pennies per minute or for free.  Rebtel customers only pay for the minutes they use. There are no monthly fees, no connection fees, or hidden costs.  Free calls are possible between the 50 countries served by Rebtel and only one of the two people on a call must be a Rebtel customer. Visit the Rebtel website for more information.

Comments

[Bob Bristol]

So business-related calls scored just 1.8% . Well, since the business atmosphere back at home has been made very hostile by government employed criminals at the ports and taxation offices, by highly skilled "feymen" all over and even by lecturers who brainwash their students into believing that remittances sent to them are ill-gotten.

The responsibility of reversing this standard of interaction lies in the hand of nobody other than the government of Cameroon.

[Alem]

This is an ad for rebtel? what is the use of this?

[Va Boy]

An ad or good competitor research. Skype and others know whom to beat now and how.

[Onguene]

Who cares whether it is an ad or not? If the author is smart enough to tuck in relevant information into good-to-know and interesting information why should I have a problem with that?

[Onguene]

correction:
"if the author is smart enough to tuck in an advert into good-to-know and relevant information why should I have a problem with that?

[DANGO TUMMA]

THE CALLERS ARE ALL SOUTHERN CAMEROONIANS

WHO ARE FROM WEST AFRICA, SUCH WEST AFRICANS, NOT CENTRAL WEST AFRICA, FRENCH CAMEROUNESE AND COMGO;ESE ARE CENTRAL AFRICANS, BOUNDARY AT RIVER MUNGO

[Diebody]

Dango, we are not West Africans, and We are not Central Africans.
We are Southern or West Cameroonians.

The Mungo separates us from Central Africa.
The Mungo Na Loba separates us from West Africa.
We are us.

As we think of leaving the Equatorial Forest,
Let us not turn and mingle with the chaos in West Africa.

We've seen how these stories fair.
Let us draw our boundaries clear and be us.

[Diebody]

I meant 'fare' not 'fair'!

Sorry for the error.

[Peter]

Cameroonians arenow offering quality services to call back home from USA, Canada and Europe. See http://www.bloomtalent-telecom.com

[nico anye]

this will have been news if the calls where free, calling cameroon from Singapore/malaysia is pretty expensive,

[Elvis]

Try and use www.lowratevoip.com Its's really cheap too for calling cameroon.