Skype competition

Buongone says on Oct 7, 2008, 00:09:

What actually do you mean about online #'s. I talk to my novia via my computer/her cell phone. Or Computer/Computer. Works fine. And when calling C/C it's free.

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chewy says on Oct 7, 2008, 04:25:

Skype offers online numbers to certain nations such as US, Chile, Argentia and UK. For 5.95 USD a month you can get one online number that anyone can call you as if it was a local number but you can answer it anywhere in the world if you are connected online. Also if you have a wifi skype phone you can also use is where there are hot spots. With this 5.95 deal you also choose one nation to call land lines for free. My problems is that I want my wife to be able to call me at a local Colombia number and my skype will ring anywhere I am. For 12.95 USD per month you can get three online numbers and free land lines number in several countries.

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jimmymcc says on Oct 7, 2008, 06:05:

chewy get you wife to set it up in Colombia as if she is living in another country it works and then she can call that local number I use the 12 unlimited 35 countries, and it works, Im not sure if both you and your wife are living in colombia, but if you know someone in another country they can buy the Skype for you. and you use the number.

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jimmymcc says on Oct 7, 2008, 06:06:

that should be 12 months sorry

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La_Huella says on Oct 7, 2008, 10:08:

Chewy wants a Colombian SkypeIn number, you're missing the point.

The only alternative I've found is Telefono Rojo but their costs are exorbitant.

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chewy says on Oct 7, 2008, 12:18:

Thank you La_Huella. Is exactly what I mean. Then there is no other way. Is funny that Skype is in the Dominican Republic, Chile, Argentina etc, but not in Colombia or Puerto Rico. But the Skype concept is good and cheap if they include Colombia.

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La_Huella says on Oct 7, 2008, 12:47:

I'd love for there to be an unlimited calling package to Colombia too but if there were it would only be to fijos. That would still save 57k a month for me.

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chewy says on Oct 7, 2008, 13:16:

I know exactly what you mean. My wife lives in Cartagena and I am in Puerto Rico but we talk a lot all the time. When she is home we use Skype for free, but when she is working or not at home, then I have to call her cel and vice versa.

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Papi de Alejo says on Oct 7, 2008, 20:21:

Swinn88 left a post a few months ago where he got a Colombian online number from Orbitel. He said that he can call his family and that they can call him as if he were in Medellin and they were callling down the road or across town. He lives in New York.

After I read his post, I went to the Orbitel site and purchased a plan Habla todo el mes for 44.95 per month and I get to call for I think 6c to a cell and 3c to fijos.

PdA

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La_Huella says on Oct 7, 2008, 22:44:

That's real damn expensive unless you talk a whole lot.

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chewy says on Oct 8, 2008, 09:49:

Skype has been around for a while now and is hard for me to understand that no one has come up with good honest competition. All I can find is either expensive phone packages like Papi de Alejo mentions or just plain free computer to computer connection which is abundant.

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edpeluffo says on Oct 8, 2008, 11:59:

The easiest and cheapest way to obtain a Colombian Phone Number ( DID or Virtual Phone Number) I can think of is thru Orbitel ( http://www.orbitelusa.com ) Plan Tu Linea Directa. If you are not willing to pay at least this much ($15.00 for just the number or $30.00 for number and some credit per month) then there isn't anything cheaper at the moment that I know of. Keep in mind that Orbitel service doesn't work correctly 24/7, there are some quality issues a particular peak times like nights and weekends.

There are alternatives out there but they are not easy for then non-technical, non-computer savy person. I personally use my own IP PBX to reduce my phone costs but I use hundred of minutes per day.

For calls to Cell phones in Colombia, I haven't found anything better for the price ($0.06 per minute) than Orbitel. (I know others will disagree but I have tried plenty other services). Calls are the cleariest I have heard so far.

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rocinante says on Oct 8, 2008, 12:18:

In general Orbitel ROCKS.

In order for the PBX to be cost effective you need to use it a great deal as the box istelf is about $1,400 USD - plus the caller needs to call the PBX which is a Colombian Landline, enter a code, which grabs a Vonage line and then they dial anywhere in the US and Puerto Rico, Mexico Canada etc...

The funny thing is that Vonage to Colombian Cell is .18 cents a minute. One could call my Col PBX from their Col house, type in the code and call a Col cell thourgh the Col Landline-PBX-Vonage-Col cell Cheaper than calling a Col Cell from a Col landline or Col Cell to Col Cell.

Don't be misled - Vonage costs $25.00 USD a month and the apartment with the PBX Vonage set up needs a 1MB minimum internet connection.

With this set up and simulring your girl can call you from Colombia to your US cell and it doesn't cost her a nickel. It does cost you though. This PBX approach only works if you have an apartment in Colombia and if you want to make calls from your Colombian cell to the US using the PBX's call bridging feature to grab Vonage.

Chewey I think the best thing to do is just toss a Vonage box in her house and be done with it.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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rocinante says on Oct 8, 2008, 12:57:

my "just get Vonage" advice limits the caller to being chained to the Internet connection and not being able to call you from her cell phone or if she is at her Aunt's house down the street...

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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chewy says on Oct 8, 2008, 13:08:

Thanks all of you, but Skype still looks better than all these. For me to call her cel or fijo is only 9.5 cents by way of Skype. If she is home, then we just use Skype for free. Since I hardly know anyone but a couple of persons in Puerto Rico, I am eliminating my cel phone here also because I am paying $56 USD and hardly use it unless my wife calls me from Colombia and that costs her way too much. I guess I will have to take a Skypein number in the US because even if PR is in the list of calling nations and 2.1 cents per minute, Skype does not have Skypein numbers in Puerto Rico.

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chewy says on Oct 8, 2008, 13:11:

One thing I like to point out is that when I got into Skype a couple of years ago it wasn't that great. Connecting was bad at times, calls being dropped, echo, and other thigs were not that great. However, is the past few months Skype quality has been fantastic. I just wish they came up with Skypein numbers in Colombia.

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chewy says on Oct 9, 2008, 08:11:

Sorry, I sent a post to the wrong thread.

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