International College of Seville
www.ics-seville.org
TELEPHONE INFORMATION
Traditionally, phone calls in Spain have ranged from the least expensive local calls to the most expensive intercontinental calls in the world. Fortunately, due to the liberalization of the telecommunications market the cost of long distance phone calls has been reduced considerably in the last few years.
PHONE CARDS
ICS students are always pleased to learn of the ferocious fare battles between Spanish phone card companies. At the present time there is a wide range of phone cards available in Spain that enable one to make telephone calls to anywhere in the world at very reasonable rates. One such card, called the EuroDirect, allows for 3 hours of talking time with the United States for 6 Euros. Students often find that phone calls made with cards bought locally have better rates than those made with cards from U.S. companies. One must compare, and be on the lookout for the best offers.
Those students who come to Seville with a U.S-purchased “global” phone card must first ascertain if the card company has an operator access number beginning with “900” for Spain. If the phone card company has an operator access number beginning only with "1-800", it should not be purchased for use in Spain. U.S. phone numbers beginning with “1-800” are not charge-free calls from Spain. Major phone card companies such as AT&T, MCI and SPRINT do have free "900" access numbers.
Also available are international phone cards that can be used to call the U.S. from a cell phone. These cards cost €5 and give 200 minutes talking time.CELLULAR PHONES
All students enrolled in the ICS Semester-in-Spain program are given cellular phones for personal use during their stay in Seville. These phones are property of the ICS and are given on loan to the students for the duration of the semester.
On the first day of Orientation every student receives an individual phone and charger. The ICS clearly indicates then that the phones have been distributed, free of charge, not only to make the stay of our students more comfortable while in Seville, but so that they may be located easily in case of an emergency. It is for this reason that we highly recommend their informing parents and home institutions of their phone numbers.
It is the responsibility of each student that his or her phone is in proper working condition and that the phone carries sufficient credit for making a call. Should the phone need to be repaired during the course of the semester, students are advised to turn it in to the main office of the ICS where a technician will be notified immediately. For the duration of the repair, a replacement phone is not given. During this time, the student is expected to communicate with his or her parents by other means (e-mail, home phone, public phones, etc.). If it is determined that the malfunctioning of the phone is due to misuse, the student must pay a $85 replacement fee. Those students who lose their phones must also pay this fee.
PHONE CALLS FROM ONE’S HOME
Students must never use the home telephone without permission. Outgoing calls should be limited to those made to one’s family upon arrival to Seville, either by way of collect call or through a calling card. Using the host's phone without express permission can be reason for being expelled from the home.
Important phone numbers:
- Telefónica information: 11818
- International information: 11825
- Collect calls: 1009
- European operator: 1008
Please note that these calls are not free of charge.
