PARIS-Next month, France Telecom Mobiles announced it will launch a prepaid cellular Subscriber Identity Module service called Mobicarte.
Mobicarte kits can be purchased for about $45, which entitles users to 30 minutes of calls within France.
Customers also receive designated phone numbers when they insert the SIM into a cellular phone and call the Mobicarte customer number.
To place calls, Mobicarte subscribers dial 222, then any telephone number in France.
When the 30 minutes of credit are depleted, subscribers can buy additional SIM cards, which are sold primarily at tobacco shops. Additional cards cost $24. The cards also are rechargeable.
Customers can keep the same telephone number as long as they recharge the card at least once every four months, France Telecom said. The service is used on a Global System for Mobile communications network.
