Following news that an extra 30,000 US and 500 UK troops are being deployed to Afghanistan, international SIM card provider GO-SIM is launching two new websites to help a badly injured soldier.

On 4th September 2006, the day after his 22nd birthday, Neil McCallion and his fellow soldiers were distributing food, stationery and clothes to schoolchildren in the war zone when a suicide bomber drove into their vehicle.

The former army private from Scotland suffered shrapnel wounds to his head and torso from the bomb blast which also nearly severed his left hand. It also killed his pal, Private Craig O'Donnell - who had swapped seats with Neil just five minutes before it happened. More than three years and 14 operations later, the 25-year-old is still recovering from the physical and mental injuries.

To make matters worse, Neil is now facing bankruptcy after a judge ordered him to pay a $10,160 cell phone bill – mostly for roaming charges - for calls he made while in Afghanistan.  “I have to make a substantial payment by the end of the month and ongoing payments for the next three years but there’s no way I can find that kind of money,” said Neil. “My expenses are greater than my income each month so I’m already finding it hard to make ends meet.”

After reading about his plight, telecoms company GO-SIM, which has offices in the US and the UK, has set up two new websites - www.helpneil.com and www.helpneil.co.uk - and will donate 15% of all SIM cards sales and 5% of airtime top-up purchases made via the sites to help him repay the debt.   

GO-SIM CEO David Agar is also giving Neil five international GO-SIM cards with airtime for Neil and four of his friends who are on active duty to use. According to David, “Beyond the obvious risk to life and limb, there’s also the potential financial sting from the terribly high roaming charges on international calls for military personnel serving around the world in combat zones.  I sympathize with Neil as he has been through a terrible ordeal while serving his country in Afghanistan, like so many of our brave troops, and is now facing financial ruin.  We are proud to help Neil and his fellow troops.”

According to Neil, the help GO-SIM is providing will aid his road to recovery: “I am grateful for GO-SIM’s support and I’m confident that with their help I can get on top of the bill I must now pay for these excessive roaming charges.  I wish I had known.”

Every year hundreds of cell phone users unwittingly incur hundreds of dollars worth of roaming charges while abroad. David explained: “Providers of goods and services have a legal and moral responsibility to make the customer aware in advance of the charges they will face, together with any applicable conditions or small print. But in the case of wireless carriers it seems the reality is rather different.”

GO-SIM however has the answer. By swapping out their normal SIM card with a GO-SIM card, customers can save up to up to 85% on their call charges from abroad and because it’s pre-paid they’ll never come home to a huge bill. 

For example AT&T charges $3.99 to make calls from Afghanistan to the US and $3.99 to receive them (with T-Mobile it costs $4.99 to make and receive calls) while GO-SIM charges $2.00 to make calls and just $1.35 to receive them. To send and receive text messages with AT&T costs $0.50 (with T-Mobile it costs $0.35) while GO-SIM charges just $0.09.

To help GO-SIM raise money for Neil and save up to 85% on roaming charges please visit www.helpneil.com or www.helpneil.co.uk

For more information about GO-SIM please visit www.gosim.com/press 

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