VoIP - Low Cost International Calls

Skype is primarily designed to provide voice and video communication between computers as opposed to between telephones. As such, it isn't a suitable substitute for regular phone service, nor does it pretend to be. From a safety standpoint, it's important to know that Skype can't be used to make emergency 911 calls.

Skype's main claim to fame is that it allows you to make calls from one computer to another, anywhere in the world, totally free of charge. The only requirements are that both parties to the call must use Skype and be online at the same time. This does require that you have a separate headset and microphone or to use ones that may be built in to your computer. What's more is that with the simple addition of a webcam, your free Skype to Skype calls can be video calls. Many newer computers, particularly laptops, have the webcam, microphone, and speakers built in for just this purpose.

Other free services on Skype include transferring and forwarding call to others on Skype, instant messaging and group IMs, and conference calls.

Up to 10,000 calling minutes to landlines for one low monthly fee - the new Skype calling subscriptions.

In addition to Skype's free service, you can take advantage of a wide variety of paid services by purchasing Skype Credits on a pay-as-you-go basis or by signing up for a subscription plan. The most significant paid features are the abilities to make and receive calls from telephones.

With SkypeOut, you can make Unlimited Calls to Landlines as well as cell phones throughout the United States and Canada for $2.95 per month. There is also an Unlimited World plan for $9.95 monthly that allows you to make unlimited calls to landline phones in 36 different countries. The plan also allows for unlimited calls to cell phones in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore as well as Canada and the U.S. It's worth emphasizing that this information refers to calling from a computer.
Make cheap international calls with Skype


SkypeIn is a service which allows you to purchase an online phone number that others can call to reach you on Skype. There are numbers available in twenty countries. Someone using any standard phone can call your online number and you get the call on Skype, wherever in the world you log on. An online number costs $12 for three months or $60 for twelve months. If you also have a SkypeOut subscription, the cost of the online number is discounted 50 percent.
Click here to get your unique SkypeIn number


If you have a subscription or Skype Credits, you can establish a Skype To Go phone number. To use Skype To Go, you set up speed dial list online then when using any phone, you call your Skype To Go number and either choose one of your speed dial numbers or dial any other number. If calling from a cell phone, your wireless provider will charge air time which, of course, may be just a matter of charging against your plan's minutes. This allows for making international calls at the usually competitive Skype rates, though we caution you to check the rate for the country that you're calling as Skype's rate isn't necessarily the best.

The Skype application can be downloaded to compatible mobile phones manufactured by LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. That allows you to access your Skype account from your phone wherever cellular service is available and essentially use it as though you were on your computer. There are also Skype specific phones made by Netgear and Belkin which allow Skype access using a Wi-Fi connection.

Skype offers most of typical calling features offered by other VoIP service providers including Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and Address Book (call logs and call lists) for free. Sending and receiving voicemail or SMS text messages using Skype's computer to computer service costs extra as does transferring calls from Skype to telephones.




Standout Features

* Free Skype-to Skype Calling
* Free Video Calling
* Low cost calls to and from regular phone lines

Sweden-based Rebtel have launched a product that will allow users to dial any international number at the cost of a local call. It works by having the two ends of the call use local connections (over low-cost local calls) to a VoIP point and then bridge the call to the recipient at the other end over the net.

The basic fee is $1 per week which is charged only if you use their service that week.

Rebtel assigns a local phone numbers for each of your friends. You call that number instead of the normal number for that friend. Your friend picks up the phone, hangs up and dials the number that just called them to connect to you.

You can also use Rebtel without the person hanging up on the other end, but you will be charged for the call (rates are lower than normal phone rates).

Use your normal landline or cell phone to make VoIP calls for a small per-minute fee.

Jajah allows free global landline and mobile phone calls between registered Jajah users.

Jajah divides the globe into a couple of groups. The first comprises the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. The second includes Australia and most of Europe. Calls between Jajah users within each group are free, whether you're calling to or from a landline or cell phone, as long as you initiate your call from Jajah's Web site. If you're in a country not covered by Jajah's free global calling plan or the person you're calling isn't a registered Jajah user, you'll still pay Jajah's per-minute rate, which is usually less than 3 cents. (Registration is free.)

The really interesting part of this is that Jajah isn't asking customers to sign any sort of contract. Instead, it's relying on the hope that Jajah users will stick to a "fair use" policy, which asks that callers keep their calls to a "reasonable" number of minutes, which Jajah says is about an hour per day, five days per week, or about 1,000 minutes per month. Jajah will monitor individual usage and contact users they feel are taking advantage of the system. Users who continue to abuse the system will find their free calling suspended, though they can still make paid calls.

Standout Features
* Free registration
* Free calls between Jajah users

Cons:
* To get free calls you have to be at your computer to use it
* You have to have a billing relationship with jajah if you are making non-free calls.

Get 20 local numbers that you can program to "call forward" to numbers internationally. You call that number instead of the normal number for that friend. No more need to dial an access number and a PIN to save money on overseas calls!

If your friends answers the phone, the charge is a small Zenofon charge, that ranges from 1 cent - 10 cents a minute, depending on the location.

If you hang up right after the "bip bip" sound, your call triggers a call back from Zenofon. Pick up the phone and you will now have an open line to call on Zenofon's own phone service. The call is now viewed by your cell phone carrier as a local inbound call and charged at local prices.

Besides great savings, Zenofon offers a unique commission structure, where not only do you get commissions for life from the people you refer, but you get commisions from all the referrals in your downline - even up to 1000 tiers. To add to the fun factor, you can watch your downline in a graphic form, so it's cool to see who begat who ;) To top it off, Zenofon is referral only, so you have to sign up thru a current member's invite.

You can join up using my invite link: http://www.zenofon.com/?bipbip

Join Zenofon

Lingo offers a wider selection of calling plans than most providers, especially if you have some specialized calling needs that include a variety of foreign countries.

The Lingo Hello World Unlimited plan includes a comprehensive collection of useful features, unlimited In-Network calling in the US and 45 international countries for $21.95 per month.

Additional calling plans include an unlimited U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico plan billed annually, a limited 500 minute plan and an unlimited plan for only in-network calling.

Lingo charges a one time $29.95 activation fee and a $39.95 cancellation fee if you cancel your service after the 30-day guarantee and before one full year of service.

Lingo offers all the standard VOIP calling features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, 3-way Calling, Speed Dial, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and Call Return (*69). Enhanced features include Anonymous Call Blocking, Enhanced 911 Dialing, Repeat Dialing and Do Not Disturb. You can also keep your existing telephone number and take your VOIP service with you when you travel.

Operator One Connect enables you to make phone calls to your international contacts on a local number, from any phone. That means with Operator One all calls are local calls.

Operator One

Truphone is a free software program that you download to your mobile phone. It saves you money on mobile calls by routing them over the internet.

Truphone provides service over a third-party WiFi (Wireless Internet) connection that you connect to using your iPhone or Nokia cellphone. That means free mobile calls to other Truphone users or very cheap calls to anyone else. Truphone can offer these free calls to other Truphone users and low rates to others because Truphone does not use your cellular providers network to send or receive calls, it uses your home, business or public hotspot WiFi connection to route calls over the internet.

Benefits:

Free Calls between connected Nokia, iPhone and iPod touch Truphone users are always completely FREE. From wherever, to wherever.

Low calling rates for every country in the world. You can use your existing mobile to make international calls from just 1.8c per minute with TruSaver.

TruUnlimited monthly packages offer unlimited calls to the most popular destinations from just $17 per month.

Truphone is brilliant for saving money on international mobile calls from your home country, and because their rates don't fluctuate depending on where you are, you can save loads of money on calls when you're abroad. There are no roaming charges.

MobiVox
VoipCheap
InternetCalls