The Free Phone Call FAQ: Part 1
Written by mak on October 2nd, 2008
Calling on Computers
You’ve probably heard about this before: the supposedly free phone calls to just about anywhere in the world. Astonishing as it may sound, you can in fact make free phone calls to the rest of the world. If you’re new to this whole business of making free international calls, then this FAQ is for you.
Are the Free Phone Calls Really Free?
If you’re just talking about the rates the providers charge when you make a call,
then the answer would be a yes. There are providers out there who make it possible for you to make free phone calls – even free international calls – to other people
However, it’s not absolutely, 100% free; you’ll still have to provide the method by which you connect to the services of the provider. In almost all cases, this means that you’ll have to spring for an internet connection. Taking everything into account, you’ll actually be making free internet calls instead of free phone calls per se using a traditional phone (but the latter is still possible, as will be explained later on).
To Which Countries Can You Make the Free Phone Calls?
You’d ideally be able to place a phone call – absolutely free – to any phone in any country on the planet. There is, however, a limiting factor. Not every service provider can connect you to every country. Some service providers are strictly limited to connecting you to a set group of countries, while others will charge you for calling certain countries but allow you to make free internet calls to the rest.
In most cases, you can make free internet calls to North America, Europe (particularly the British end) and India because a lot of providers are based in those countries, and they already have the necessary infrastructures. In the end, though, it all boils down to your service provider. Be sure to check whether your ‘free international calls’ will really be free before you click on anything binding.
Who Are the Service Providers in the Industry?
The past few years have seen nothing short of an explosion of companies on the internet, all of them offering one form of free phone calls or another. All of them, though, can be divided into three groups – Skype (it’s so popular that it deserves its own category), instant messaging (IM) clients and independent companies.
The most popular provider for free internet calls
Skype is definitely one of the most popular because it can be used in practically every corner of the world, and it’s one of the most established names in the business. With the advent of dedicated Skype phones that connect to the Skype network, it has become common for users to utilize the Skype service like a typical landline phone. Once you’ve registered on their network (registration’s free, by the way), you can call any Skype user, regardless of where he or she is. Calling traditional landlines or mobile phone numbers will cost you, albeit next to nothing.
The instant messaging (IM) clients like Yahoo! Messenger (YM) or AOL Messenger also have a system that resembles that of Skype. Registration to their user network is free, and you just have to download their IM client for you to make calls to other users on the network. Like Skype, calling a landline through IM clients will cost you so little, it’s almost free.
Last but not the least are the independent companies like ooma.com, viatalkfree.com and freecall.com, who will require you to register and allow you to make free calls to other people on the network as well. The most significant difference is that these independent companies actually let you make completely free phone calls to different places around the world (again, it’ll depend on the provider). Be prepared to jump some extra hurdles, though; such companies earn their revenues through another means – advertising, for example – and you’ll have to help them earn their keep. That usually means wading through lots of ad offers or even listening through audio ads played during calls. If you’re trying to beat the sky-high IDD rates, though, it’s a small price to pay.
You hopefully picked up a few useful facts and nuggets of information from the first part of this FAQ. Keep checking back to read more about how to save your phone bill by making free phone calls.
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Tags: free calls
October 9th, 2008 at 7:47 am
“Top 3 Reasons to Start Making VOIP Phone Calls ”
I have a quick additional comment:
I’d further explain the VOIP concept by saying this…
If you operate any type of business, especially online, you have a global opportunity at your fingertips to cut your monthly phone call expenses dramatically.
I have been using a computer based Voip system since 2002, with an online phone number in USA, its much cheaper than an depoying an 800# for my USA customers.
On a more personal note, most of my family live or work in many diverse locations in North America, so I benefit greatly from the advantages offered by IP phones and VOIP international calling from Europe
Take care;
Leo Hanes
P.S. Discover how you too can make long distance and international calls without spending a dime …
Contact me to find more info or join my list here: The Voip Strategist News
October 28th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I searched for \’Internet Phone Service How Can I Get Free Voip\’ at google and found this your post (\’e Phone Call FAQ: Part 1 | Free Calls To: Anywhere in the world.\’) in search results. Not very relevant result, but still interesting to read.