Travelling abroad has always involved an element of adventure, but even as recently as 20 years ago visiting countries as technically advanced as the USA meant that you literally went into a communications black hole until your return. That is because the cost of transatlantic phone calls was so outrageously high that your entire holiday budget could be used up calling home, and that was just for a few minutes.
However, advances in competition amongst telephony companies have changed that. For example, travellers to the USA can purchase great value phone cards starting from as little as £5 for approximately 167 minutes of calls to a landline number in London. Or, if they prefer travellers can also call home using a mobile phone. But, even though that’s not as relatively expensive as it was to use landlines at the end of the 1980s, it is still an expensive way to keep in touch with calls to home typically costing around £1.37 – £1.99 per minute outside Europe.
As technology has advanced the amount of differing communication methods have also grown exponentially. Now even without a landline or mobile phone, it is still possible to call home just as long as you are connected to the internet. VoIP (Voice over internet protocol) now enables broadband users to be able to communicate both freely and for free with anyone on the internet who has the same software installed.
Indeed, modern technology expands at such a phenomenal rate each year that nothing seems impossible when it comes to global communication. Logging into your email account when in the heart of Peru to send and receive messages or even using your laptop to make free calls to home via WiFi at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto; both are eminently possible in the 21st century.
Wherever you go in the world the internet has invariably got there first, unless the destination is extremely remote and off the beaten track. For those on extended holidays or especially back-packing then internet phone calls can be a great way to make sure everyone back home realises what a great time you are having, as well as a great way for you to keep in touch with happenings on the domestic front. But the real advantage is that you save your much needed cash to spend on essentials or fun activities and without having to spend it all it on expensive phone calls. So, before heading off to foreign parts make sure you open an internet VoIP account, and you’ll have the ability to stay in touch just about wherever you go!
By: Isla Campbell
Posts Tagged ‘Free Calls’
Use Internet Technology to ‘Phone Home’ When on Holiday
March 7th, 2010Top 5 Free VOIP Providers For Making Free Calls Worldwide
January 10th, 2010
1) Raketu- Pretty decent service which offers FREE calls to 42 countries. I am rating it higher than VOIPbuster/Discount for the very reason thats its not a clone and it uses a diff technology than skype. Skype uses Supernodes which can be vulnerable to hacking. I covered that issues in my blog earlier. Additionally it integrates with Yahoo, MSN messengers etc.
Benefits: Better technology, Clear Voice, 42 countries FREE, Integrate with other messengers Drawbcks- Haven’t found any yet.
2) Jajah : I tried jajah about 1 month back and with their FREE minutes i made calls to India. The difference between jajah and other VOIP providers is Jajah only allows you to make calls from your phone. That means You need to give your phone number and your calling party number before you can make a call. When you intiate a call Jajah first connect your phone. You pick up the call and then jajah connects to the other party.
Benefits: No software download needed. Just visit their site. No credits needed for free calls. Drawbacks: Have to use a legitimate number before calling. Cant use PC to make call.
3) Gizmo : Popularly known as ” Skype Killer”. This software lets you call anyone in more than 60 countries. The only downside is that you and other party both should be registered with Gizmo and should also register your numbers. I am sure that this project will be successful and in short time the daatabase of people will be built and then its a FREE calling world.
Benefits: Making calls is easier than ever, Killer Application interface, Drawbacks: Requires both parties to register their numbers with Gizmo.
4) Voipcheap – This is the original VOIPcheap and not the UK version of this company. Although VOIPbuster, voipcheap.co.uk uses the same software, i found this software more reliable and voice quality is of high level. This is an straight winner when it comes to making FREE calls worldwide. You can virtually call more than 50 countries on normal PSTN landlines and mobiles in singapore, USA, HK & Canada. With some hacks, you can call from countries which are not listed in FREE list but you have a work around. You need to check my blog for that.
Benefits: Clear voice, You can make calls from your PC. No need to buy any credits from them before making free calls. Allows PC or Phone to initiate call (via Directdial)
Drawbacks: really none.
5) voipraider/ voipbuster: All these companies belong to Betamax GMBH, a European company dealing in VOIP. They offer extremely low competitive rates to many countries but have almost zero customer service.
Benefits:1 or more additional countries (Thailand + mobile) on Voipdiscount. Drawbacks: No customer service. Change rate any time.
I hope this article will benefit you in making Free International Calls
By: Vinay R
Make Cheap International Calls Using VOIP Technology
October 16th, 2009
The latest technology to revolutionize the world of communication is VOIP. It is indeed an affordable means of making international calls PC-to-PC. So, what all you need while making the best use of this technology to make cheap international calls?
To ensure VOIP calls you need to ascertain that the person with whom you want to talk should have:
• A computer
• An internet connection
• Headset with a microphone
• Requisite software to make calls
If you want, the service provider of VoIP will simply send an adapter which will be connected with the traditional telephone or the broadband modem by which it will be turned into a VoIP phone.
How are VOIP Calls made?
Making use of VOIP technology for making international calls is by far the easiest and the most convenient system. The headphones are plugged into the computer and both parties need to be present online at the same time, and you can easily talk to the person staying abroad.
One of the notable features is that you do not need to be required at a fixed location while making the call. You can connect to any VOIP service provider no matter where you are located.
What is important here is selecting the right service provider so that there is voice clarity and you do not face any issue while making international calls. With the best sound clarity, you can make a call both on mobile and landline at an affordable rate.
Here you have to know that if you are making calls PC to PC, it will be free of cost whereas while making calls to landlines or mobiles, it will be a chargeable amount but a low cost one via using VOIP technology.
To get the most affordable deals of making cheap international calls, always compare different VoIP providers and get the services of the one that offers cheaper tariffs and even some free calls each month.
There might be a possibility that you have to pay more prices for having an account with them. This is why you should first check the prices with the provider and compare it with others. Take your pick only after you have compared all of them and found out the cheapest one.
How expensive are these calls?
These phone calls are not expensive at all. Most of the software can be downloaded for no cost at all while others may charge you a very nominal amount. You will not be charged for the call and will be able to talk for as much time as you want. All you would have to give will be the charges for the internet connection that you normally also pay per month.
By: Erick John
