Internet Telephony: Completely Free Calls Worldwide Article Discussion Area

Former_MSE_Archna
Former_MSE_Archna Posts: 1,903
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edited 25 March 2014 at 9:29PM in Phones & TV
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Internet Telephony: Completely Free Calls Worldwide article

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  • Welcome to any new users of the chat forum coming through from the recently updated article about Internet Telephony icon7.gif

    We have a thread here which contains links to current threads regarding this subject on Home Phones and lots of experts that can help you with any queries you might have.

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  • JAB_3
    JAB_3 Posts: 6 Forumite
    I have just discovered an absolutely brilliant voip provider - Sipgate (sipgate.co.uk)

    Much better than proprietary software Skype. You don't need to have your computer on. You can use an ordinary phone (even cordless). No messy headphones. Calls are 1p per minute (and of course free to other voip users) to landlines anywhere. Quality is fab. Plus, you get a proper geographic phone number. I have just activated a new line and it's cost me just £58 - the price of an adaptor which connects to your broadband router. If you get this adaptor you can also take it with you to connect to any broadband router (so you can take your office away with you, the number follows you whereever you take the adaptor). No line rental, v low calls, great customer service, no min contract.
    Thought everyone should know about this as this is missing from the article but they are a leading company and Skype has major drawbacks.
  • utilitybroker
    utilitybroker Posts: 2,207 Forumite
    https://www.voipdiscount.co.uk is worth looking at.
  • f3lix
    f3lix Posts: 955 Forumite
    JAB wrote:
    I have just discovered an absolutely brilliant voip provider - Sipgate (sipgate.co.uk)

    Much better than proprietary software Skype. You don't need to have your computer on. You can use an ordinary phone (even cordless). No messy headphones. Calls are 1p per minute (and of course free to other voip users) to landlines anywhere. Quality is fab. Plus, you get a proper geographic phone number. I have just activated a new line and it's cost me just £58 - the price of an adaptor which connects to your broadband router. If you get this adaptor you can also take it with you to connect to any broadband router (so you can take your office away with you, the number follows you whereever you take the adaptor). No line rental, v low calls, great customer service, no min contract.
    Thought everyone should know about this as this is missing from the article but they are a leading company and Skype has major drawbacks.

    All sounds too good to be true, I've been thinking about using some sort of internet phone. will have to have a look at this!
    i tHink, therEfore I'vE goT a BLOODY heAdAche
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976
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    JAB wrote:
    I have just activated a new line and it's cost me just £58 - the price of an adaptor which connects to your broadband router. If you get this adaptor you can also take it with you to connect to any broadband router (so you can take your office away with you, the number follows you whereever you take the adaptor). No line rental, v low calls, great customer service, no min contract.
    Thought everyone should know about this as this is missing from the article but they are a leading company and Skype has major drawbacks.
    At first glance, it does appear odd that Martin omitted to mention the possibility of making and receiving calls without the PC on by using an adaptor plugged into the router, and seemed to highlight Skype over SIP providers.

    But then consider that the article is called making completely free calls from the PC, so the hardware cost involved has probably made him leave it out of this, which deals with voice over internet at an introductory sort of level. There are plenty of other threads here about VoIP that are worth studying in more detail. Many SIP providers have peering agreements which means they do not charge calls to other SIP providers' customers.

    On the other hand, as Martin mentions reaching destinations that are not free like UK mobiles, and other calling methods like override with callthrough providers, it's worth saying that some VoIP providers allow calls to the 0844 numbers that will reach UK mobiles cheaply.
  • mobilegossip
    mobilegossip Posts: 1,163 Forumite
    redux.

    Can you let us know Voip Providers that allow calls to 0844 please?
  • redux
    redux Posts: 22,976
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    Voipfone do, all at 5p/min, but that doesn't matter really for calling mobiles as it's 4 or 5 anyway.

    Sipgate has 0870 and 0845 at identical tariffs to BT, and links to BT tariff detail, so I think it would be quite likely - worth finding out.

    I expect there are more, but I won't list one that charges all 08 numbers (except 0800) at 11p. Is it worth just trying from one of the Finarea VoIP ones?
  • AP
    AP Posts: 412
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    https://www.voipdiscount.co.uk is worth looking at.

    Voipdiscount (and all its other sister companies like Voipstunt, internetcall, Voipcheap, Voipbuster, etc.) now requires a minimum of €10.00 + VAT (€11.60 = £7.98) to open and account which will expires after 120 days.

    You have to consider how many minutes of calls you are going to make to their free destinations during this 120-day period and weigh it up against the total cost when using indirect access codes via Telediscount, Telestunt, Cheapest calls or similar companies to see if it is going to exceed £7.98.
  • JAB_3
    JAB_3 Posts: 6 Forumite
    To clarify some queries about Sipgate: You don't have to purchase an adaptor (ATA) at all - it's optional but allows you to use any standard phone so has advantages.

    If you just want to buy an internet telephone you can plug that straight into your router and off you go - free voip calls (and not only to Sipgate users), a geographic phone number plus v low cost calls to non voip users. Plus the huge advantage that you don't need to have your computer on. So the fact that you can buy the adaptor shouldn't have been a reason to exclude Sipgate from the article. As far as I can see there's a big reason to choose Sipgate over Skype. Also they plan to bring in call divert and call forwarding within 'about a month'. I'm setting up a small business and this service gives me everything I need to have a second line and home office at almost no additional cost.
  • Hi! Great site you are having. Helpfull to learn all the tricks to save money. I personally use voipdiscount to call with also to regular landlines. I must say Skype has a better sound quality, but of course voipdiscount is quite a lot cheaper! To compare more prices of companies who also offer free calling to some countries you could have a look at https://www.voipproducts.eu
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