FAST FORWARD 7-1-1998

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts July 1998
July 1998
Short Cuts:FAST FORWARD

The trouble with cell phones is they don't work outside the United States. Maclean, Va.-based Global Phoneworks, LLC, to the rescue. The company rents mobile phones that operate in 78 countries; users roam easily through Europe, Asia and Africa. Rental costs are $40 for a week, $20 a week to rent a PCMCIA fax/modem card, plus a one-time setup fee of $25 that includes return shipping. Fees start on the day you need the phone and end on the day you ship the equipment back.

In late May, sample per-minute rates in the U.K. were 86 cents for local calls, free incoming calls and $2.57 for calls to the U.S.; in France, $1.43 locally, 99 cents for incoming calls and $2.57 to the U.S.; and in Australia, $1.24 locally, $1.83 for incoming calls and $2.19 to the U.S. For more information, call Global Phoneworks at (800) 556-0530 or visit the company's Web site (www.globalphoneworks.com)

SARAH J.F. BRALEY