Calls to Landlines in the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland

[steved18]

We recently returned to BT and have Broadband Full Fibre 900 and a Landline which is on the Pay as you Go plan.

We live in Northern Ireland and my partner's family live in the Republic of Ireland, is there a way to reduce the calls charges / get inclusive minutes for these landline calls?

As far as I can see from the documents on the website the inclusive UK minutes add on, International Friends and Family add on and the International Freedom add on all say they don't include landline calls from NI to ROI is that really correct?

Thanks for your help

[iniltous · Accepted solution]

https://www.bt.com/landline/calling-costs
a clip from that is 

‘Customers in Northern Ireland can also make local and national calls on their existing calling plan to home phones throughout Ireland (not to numbers beginning 818,700,83,85,86,97 & 89’

This suggests that if you stay on PAYG the price per minute is the same as calling another NI number , so if on Unlimited Minutes call plan they are included, like with NI numbers, with the exception of the number ranges quoted .

[steved18]

Thanks Iniltous

On rereading it I think you're probably right so I've gone ahead and added the add on to see if it does what I want 🙂

[imjolly]

@steved18 

can you not use something like whatsapp to call your partner's family as calls are free and a bonus is you can make video calls so can actually see the relatives for free

[Kimberlin]

@steved18  I assume that neither yourself or the folks you are calling have phones with WhatsApp? otherwise I'm guessing you'd have already gone down that path as obviously, that's a free route.

[steved18]

Thanks folks

Yes, we do do that with younger members of the family but her parents are in their 80's and don't have smart phones etc