Moving overseas - options and suggestions?

[runngdog]

Title of my post isn't really accurate, but I'm hoping it will attract folks with answers/suggestions I'm seeking.

Since my kids were in college, I have had all 3 of them on a shared Verizon family plan.  As they've graduated, I've kept them on the same plan because it's pretty inexpensive (roughly $280 per month or $70 per line all in). However, since that time, 2 of them have moved abroad, one to London, the other to Mumbai. Both of them have local SIM cards for service where there living. They do return to the US periodically, and they like the convenience of being able to switch on the the Verizon network instantly, with their familiar old phone number (which all their friends know). But that convenience -- for maybe 2 weeks a year -- is costing me $840 apiece annually, so I'm looking for suggestions and options for ways to reduce or eliminate the expense.

Specifically, I have 2 questions:

1. Is there any way for them to maintain their US phone numbers without paying $70 a month for service they don't use?

2. Is there any way for them to get (and pay for) Verizon service ONLY when they are in the US?

Thanks for any suggestions anyone might have. Sorry about the misleading post title, but I figured someone moving overseas might have the same sort of question, without all the unnecessary details.

[vzw_customer_support]

I understand the importance of ensuring your children have a way to communicate to friends and loved one's while out of the country and when they return to visit. One option you do have is to suspend service with reduced billing for 90 days during a rolling 12 month period . The billing on the lines would be reduced to $10 a month. For more information click, http://vz.to/2cQzTZZ and read Other Voluntary Suspension section. Do both lines currently have a device payment agreement on them?

Thank You,

MichelleL_VZW

VZW Support

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSUPPORT

[Ann154]

Have them port their numbers to Google Voice so they can access the numbers 24/7/365 themselves. This drops the numbers from your account and you no longer have pay for the lines.

Otherwise make them pay for that portion of your bill.

[rcschnoor]

Unfortunately, I believe that Google Voice requires the Google Voice number to be associated with an ACTIVE US cellular number. They can port the number to Google Voice, but would have to have an active US cellular number for each Google Voice number to associate with.

[Ann154]

Fiddlesticks.