Public Phones

[OslersVoice]

I didn't see a previous thread on this topic.

Are there public phones on the street? In this age of cell phone proliferation - are they easy to find?

If so, how much to use?

It just doesn't make sense to rent a phone b/c my stay in BA is so short.

[MiddleAgeGuy]

There are lots of them around, some on the corners, but mostly in buildings such as locotorios, etc. Where you can get a little booth to sit / stand in. A lot of these places have the computer set-up also to hook on to the net. You will see little phone icons all over doors, where you can go in. Never used one, prefer the cell phone or other phone route.

MAG

[MCSE]

Yes, but some times public phones doesn't work or make you put coins inside without let you call. Widely extended are locutorios, you can speak inside a cabin and you pay when you are done.

Cellphone offers you to not only dial but receive calls, and some apartments will give you the cellphone a no extra charge as phone rental services, you only pay per call the normal rate.

Argentina uses two kind of bands on cellphones but GSM is now more popular. You can buy almost everywhere a pre-paid card, minimum pre paid card is 10 pesos.

Locutorio local calls charges 0,23 cents of peso, but they charges 0,25, saying they don't have 'argentinean penny to give you change'.

Public phones per call is 0,20 cents and if you have no exact change you'll have more credit but sometimes no change, it used to be pre paid cards to call from public phones but in 2002 some poor but cleaver guys they've cracked the code in assembly so you could speak at no cost. Telefonica suspended the service, but hardware on public phones remains.