At 10 PM, Emily withdrew her trembling finger from the video call button again. Her five-year-old daughter’s smiling face on the screen felt agonizingly distant in the London chill – last month’s £200 phone bill had left her palms sweaty.
The turning point came on a rainy day at the subway station. Her Indian roommate Priya waved her phone excitedly: “Try Lycamobile? I video-call my parents in Mumbai daily for this price.” The number she flashed made Emily’s eyes widen.
That night, the smooth multilingual interface during SIM registration eased her tension. The £9.99 monthly plan included 200 international minutes, with instant data top-ups via app. When her daughter’s “Mama” finally came through crystal-clear, Emily laughed through tears at the glowing screen.
Now, during their weekly bedtime stories, little Mia always nestles close to the iPad: “How did the panda make friends tomorrow?” Emily smiles, feeling the warmth of her phone – after two-hour video calls, the extra cost barely equals a coffee. As the Thames glitters outside, she realizes the distance from Beijing to London is just the light from her palm to the screen.
(Note: Pricing can be adapted to local market promotions)