Skype Premium and Number, good value?

amorphix

Hi all,

I have been using Skype Premium and a Skype Number on my mobile phone as an alternative to a landline to save money, after my landline provider (Primus Saver/Newcall) decided to block 18185 voip free calls.

For those who don't know what Skype is, or about Skype Premium and Skype Numbers, here's some quick info..

Skype is a software program and service offered by Microsoft (available Windows, Mac, Android, Linux) which allows you to chat in text, make voice and video calls free of charge to other Skype users.

The software and basic service is free.

Skype Number is a paid for service (costing as little as £2.50 a month if paid annually) which gives you a real local area code number of your choosing, that is portable and directs incoming calls (from landlines and mobiles) to any Skype account you like. Direction of LOCAL incoming landline calls to your Skype account is free of charge. However, mobile calls, and out of area calls, are chargeable by the minute and require credit on your Skype account.


Skype Premium is another paid for service add-on offered by Skype which allows you to make unlimited free calls to landlines in any country of your choice. There's no restriction, you can call local, national, peak rate and talk as long as you like. The only restriction is that the numbers must be geographical landline numbers (i.e. not 0845, 0870. 0330 or mobile numbers). Skype premium costs from £3.44 a month if paid annually in advance.

So, what's the service like and is it a viable alternative to a landline and way to save money? Yes and No.

I have found that it doesn't work too great and a lot of people have a great deal of trouble hearing me when I try to make calls using Skype Premium as the call breaks up frequently. Other times it works ok.

HOWEVER, if I call very local area calls, its crystal clear and stable.

This is from my mobile phone running Skype under Android 4.0, using an expensive Bluetooth 3.0 Motorola headset near my HTC EVO 3D smartphone, on the O2 network via GiffGaff which gives me unlimited mobile internet for £12 a month (in my house, which has a good signal).

Oddly, I found the service worked BETTER on my mobile Internet, rather than using my broadband WiFi router. That was when I used O2 for broadband. I'm now going to try it again over WiFi as I have recently switched to Primus Broadband.

My feeling is, that Skype Premium is potentially a great money saver and would be great on mobile handsets for the ultimate freedom to call landlines free of charge at peak rate. However, whether it's just me, or whether the service is wanting, it doesn't seem reliable enough to use for UK national calls.

Perhaps others have different experience on other mobile networks or via broadband, or any technical tips, suggestions on how to improve the call quality?

Perhaps people think it's just a waste of money?

One final comment, GiffGaff offer unlimited anytime free mobile calls to other GiffGaff network users, so that's handy for businesses and families etc. If you don't want to switch network, just have a dual SIM handset. The GiffGaff sims are free and the basic PAYG top-up for free calls is £5 once every 3 months I think. You also get free £5 credit on your sim, and each referral earns you £5-£8.

NFH

amorphix wrote: »

Skype Number is a paid for service (costing as little as £2.50 a month if paid annually) which gives you a real local area code number of your choosing, that is portable and directs incoming calls (from landlines and mobiles) to any Skype account you like. Direction of LOCAL incoming landline calls to your Skype account is free of charge. However, mobile calls, and out of area calls, are chargeable by the minute and require credit on your Skype account.

This is expensive. You can instead buy an incoming number from Flextel for a one-off charge (as little as £1) which routes to a SIP address, i.e. a VOIP client.