Internet Telephone

expatriate says on Jun 23, 2005, 10:37:

Try Skype I use skype.com. The free software dialer is great, and the long distance rates appear to be the lowest.

In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

N2Aquatix says on Jun 23, 2005, 10:55:

Skype My Japanese friends use Skype and they say it's great.

Jay

0 funny, 0 helpful.

viewpoint says on Jun 23, 2005, 11:01:

I use them all and they all work fine (vonage, voicepluse, iconnecthere, at&t, meritcall, iphonecenter, and a couple more). Monthly rates range from -0- to $25 month. Iconnecthere.com offers unlimited service for $20/mo.

It depends on the amount of usage that you forsee and the internet connection that you have. Most people in Colombia don't have broadband or DSL but rather dialup (ISP) connections. iphonecenter.net has some good UPB phones that function well with dialup. Skype also works well with dialup connections. I can set in COPA's airport lounges using the wireless internet connections with my laptop and plug in my USB port IP phone allowing me to immediately start making phone calls to anywhere. The Skype and other UBS port devices work well for any computer with any internet connection.

You can install a decent phone system on your computer in about five minutes but just downloading Yahoo Version 7 Beta and having all of your friends, family and business connections do the same. That gives you a phone system that Yahoo will be upgrading within the next thirty days to allow off net call termination. Yahoo (i think) purchased dialpad.com and they are working as we speak to upgrade the yahoo system to allow call termination everywhere. Goggle and Microsoft are doing the same thing. Internet calling though a PC will be refined to a much higher standard as compared to the past. We are using the Yahoo phone system now and it's works OK but you need at least a dedicated microphone.http://beta.messenger.yahoo.com/

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Jun 23, 2005, 11:38:

Ex users of net2phone and deltathree, are now using Phoneserve, calls to USA are 80 pesos per minute, if you talk 1 minute and 15 seconds you will be charge only 1 minute and al half. You could use a regular phone to make the calls, but a gateway would be needed.

From what city will you be making the phone calls?

PM if you require more information.


Join Us

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

caslug says on Jun 23, 2005, 15:28:

skype questions.. can you use a regular phone w/ Skype like they advertise with Vonage? I don't mind if you have to buy some sort of router or adapter, anyone know how much they cost?

0 funny, 0 helpful.

bhill says on Jun 23, 2005, 16:23:

Re: regular phone with Skype
There are a couple of boxes like this to be found here and there:

http://www.echostore.com/skype-phone-adaptor-usb.html

-Brian

0 funny, 0 helpful.

expatriate says on Jun 23, 2005, 19:20:

Using Skype With one of my PCs I use the speakers and microphone that came with the computer. This is good for letting everyone around hear the conversation.

For the other computer I bought a headset with microphone for about $25. This plugs into the sound card. The sound is better for the caller and the person on the other end with this setup.

The Skype call log shows 141 calls that I've made so far this June. I don't know what I'd do without internet calling, but bandwidth greater than dialup is recommended if you don't want to scare the person you are talking to. I've called the USA, Australia, Chile, Sweden, Buenos Aires, all €0.017 a minute. Calls to Colombian mobile phones are €0.080. The minimum purchase for your Skype account is 10 Euros. When it gets low, add another 10.

In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Scott says on Jun 24, 2005, 02:30:

Thanks everyone! Think I will be relocating to Bogota during the spring of 2006 and am trying to find the best way to call friends and family in the USA. Your info is valued and appreciated.

0 funny, 0 helpful.