Celebrating New Year’s in Brazil: Using the Ooma app for international calls.

Do you want to call family and friends in Brazil? With Ooma’s mobile app, you don’t have to pay the high international rates with your mobile phone plan, nor do you have to juggle calling card minutes. The app is an easy way to use your existing device to stay connected to the people you care about.

Plus, the calling app gives you the same level of connectivity no matter where you are in the world. If you’re traveling down to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the new year or you want to stay connected with friends and family, find out what makes Ooma a flexible and affordable way to make international calls.

Calling family is a New Year’s tradition in Brazil.

It’s customary to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the people you care about. But it’s not always possible to have everyone together to celebrate the holiday.

For example, you could be in a crowd of two million people celebrating New Years at Times Square, but you’re missing your family in Brazil, who may be celebrating in a crowd of 2.4 million people at Copacabana beach.

In Brazil, New Year’s is called Réveillon, and festivities are influenced by Afro-Brazilian customs. This includes wearing new clothes to bring good luck in the new year and releasing flowers, candles and notes into the sea before midnight.

With a calling app, you can make international calls to Brazil so that you can stay connected on New Year’s, no matter where you are.

How do you call Brazil from the USA?

An international call to Brazil will require more digits than a traditional long-distance call. Most importantly, all calls will use the Brazil country code 55.

From a U.S.-based phone, follow these three steps for calling Brazil from the USA:

• Dial 011, the exit code of the U.S. telephone system.
• Dial 55, the country code for Brazil.
• Dial the 10 or 11-digit local phone number. Brazil’s phone number area codes are three digits long, although number formats vary.
• With Ooma’s home phone service, you can call Brazil at rates that are significantly cheaper than traditional providers.

When making international calls to Brazil, per-minute rates are just 3.4 to 6.4 cents when calling a landline number, and calling mobile numbers in Brazil costs 13.9 cents per minute. For example, a 30-minute conversation to a Brazil phone number with an area code of 216 for Rio de Janeiro would cost just a little over a dollar.

These affordable per-minute rates are available whether you’re using Ooma phone service at home or you’re using the Ooma mobile app.

Is there a way to make unlimited calls to Brazil?

With Ooma, you can choose to pay a per-minute fee for international calls, or you can also use a flat-rate global calling plan so you’re free to talk as much as you want.

There are two plan tiers available.

With the Ooma international calling plans, you can make unlimited calls to Brazil’s landline phones. But that’s not all. The plan includes unlimited minutes to landlines in over 60 countries and mobile phones in over 10 countries, and it costs just $9.99 per month for the first 12 months.

For unlimited access to Brazil’s landlines and mobile phone numbers, choose the Ooma World Plus Plan. In total, you’ll get unlimited calls to landlines in over 70 countries and mobile phones in over 40 countries for only $25.99 per month.

What’s the best way to make calls while traveling in Brazil?

Ooma VoIP phone service is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make international phone calls. It allows you to bring your internet-based home phone service with you anywhere you travel.

Here’s how it works.

The Ooma Telo home phone service is accessible on your smartphone via Ooma’s free calling app. That means no matter where you’re physically located, you can use your US-based phone number to make or receive calls over your internet connection.

With the app, you’ll have the same level of service whether you’re traveling internationally to Brazil or are down the street from your home.

Calls made from within the Ooma app won’t count toward your cellular plan’s minutes, nor will you be charged international cellular roaming fees. Keep in mind that because calls are transmitted over the internet, connecting to Wi-Fi can help you avoid international data charges through your cellular provider.

How do you get started with Ooma Telo?

The low-cost phone service starts with a one-time purchase of the Ooma Telo hardware. Then there are two service tiers:

Ooma Basic gives you free unlimited calls to U.S. phone numbers. You’ll only pay the taxes and fees, which are about $6 to $9 per month, depending on your location. During your international travels, you can continue to use your U.S. phone number to place calls to other U.S. phone numbers at no additional cost.

Ooma Premier offers expanded app access and a wide set of additional features like call blocking. With a subscription of just $9.99 per month, you’ll be able to receive inbound calls on the app as well as make outbound calls. That means that even when you’re physically in Brazil, U.S.-based callers will be able to reach you via a U.S.-based phone number. Plus, with Premier Service, unlimited international access is expanded to include Canada and Mexico.

Learn more about how Ooma’s international calling and residential VoIP are smart choices for staying connected internationally.