Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

I met a friend in town today who had just been informed that she can now make all LOCAL land line calls from 7pm - 7am plus all day Sunday FREE OF CHARGE. Can't be bad can it?.

Its having or getting the land line is the difficult part

True been trying for 10 years with no success.

Strange isn't it, there are small enclaves that have had phones for years i.e. Karaman, and older parts of towns and villages, but they were installed when the population was probably less than half what it is now. Everytime a Belediye lays a bit of pavement, they install drains and facilities for underground phone lines, but then they miss 100yards, so until all the dots are connected there isn't a snowball chance in hell of us having the facility and in any case the system is so antiquated it couldn't cope. Although if you past the HQ in Girne, you'll see they are tarting it up on the outside.

The reason for new houses to be "wired" is they are hoping for fibre optic soon

My house was built 10 years ago all the up to date cables were laid under ground and all the houses wired a large some of money was paid to Telecoms for the connection but its never been done. We are to far from the main road they say, ??

I have a landline because I bought an old house and kept the existing connection - even in those times they were difficult to get: I sometimes think I bought the phone and it happened a house came with it!

But it is not such a big deal - the problem is the international lines between UK and Turkey/TRNC are apparently always engaged. I thought the problem was reduced when mobiles and Skype became common, but recently I have been getting reports that it is engaged when it isnt! It isnt the phone itself because there is no trouble with getting and making local calls!

Has anyone else with a land line had this trouble or is my caller making excuses for not phoning when promised?

Free local calls and fibre optics may be all very well, but unless the lines within TRNC, plus TRNC to Turkey and Turkey to UK are increased arent they likely to lead to more congestion?

I regularly call UK from my landline and (touch wood) have never had a problem. I live in Catalkoy and have had landline for about 10 years, also house was new build, not old.

Thanks eyebob.But has anyone calling your landline reported problems getting through please? And what time of day do you usually use it? I rarely make international calls, and that only in the evening, but a recent problem has necessitated calls during UK working hours and I suspect my caller is being economic with the truth but it would be helpful to know of othersi experiences with engaged lines.