calling the world for free

[reezebeaderspin]

where can I get free phone to phone calls?

[draqon]

where can I get free phone to phone calls?

nowhere, skype comes close in accepting internet calls...but you gotta pay for it anyways...they got like a device.

[Stryder]

The main problem with phones is that there are many different networks because of the many different companies that run them. This means while one network might allow free phone calls between phones on that network, there will still be a cost applied when accessing networks that are external.

So simply there isn't any generic "Free phone to phone" calls, of course there are potentially ways of exploiting each network however doing so is illegal and can result in heavy fines and imprisonment.

[draqon]

http://www.skype.com/products/skypein/

offers good VOIp solutions cheap.

here is a skype phone that uses WIFI to call any phone...and you can be reached too as well. And USA has WIFI almost anywhere now...most are free.


http://www.skypestyle.com/

[phonetic]

I bought £10 worth of Skype credit about 6 months ago. I've made a lot of random phone calls to strange places and still have about £4 credit left.

The best thing about it is you can have conference calls with up to 8 people or something silly like that.

Calls to the USA, Canada, UK, most places in Europe and Australia are less than 1p a minute. Maybe even free - I'm sure they had some free calls deal thing recently.

[one_raven]

where can I get free phone to phone calls?

Your mom's house.

[Fraggle Rocker]

You have to subscribe to a service. VOIP is surely the cheapest, if you're talking about phones anywhere on the planet. If you just want service within the USA you can get it for about $35 a month from a regular phone company.

But in either case it's tied to your land line. I have no idea how much it costs to get that kind of service on a cell phone, but I have no interest in talking to people while I'm driving my car (that should be illegal), shopping for groceries (that's just simply annoying), or sitting on the can (damn LBJ for making that cool), so I have no need for a cell phone.

[Syzygys]

OK, so looks like I am the only one who calls from the USA to Europe phone to phone free...

The keyword is Iowa...

Let's see who can solve it...

[Absane]

OK, so looks like I am the only one who calls from the USA to Europe phone to phone free...

The keyword is Iowa...

Let's see who can solve it...

Futurephone.com?

[draqon]

http://www.allfreecalls.net

[Syzygys]

Draqon wins, except that the numbers on the website are old...I mean the website is out of service currently...

Same with futurephone.com

Never underestimate thepower of the phonecompanies (or record companies).

[Absane]

I googled Iowa and international calls and all that came up was futurephone.com.

[Syzygys]

There is a silly Iowa law that somehow reimburses phoneusers for incoming calls. Thus if one can make outgoing calls very cheap or free, one can make a business by providing a free service.
That's how all this madness started. Since most people can call long distance in the US for free with the right package, we can call these Iowa numbers and they forward the call to Europe or wherever.

Of course it is bad business for both the state and for the phonecompanies, so they keep shuting them down. Thus the out of service notice.

But I still have a few working numbers, although they tend to get busy. I got them from a message board, after googling the problem. So,keep searcing and you shall be rewarded....

Here is the explanation:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/01/12...ws-free-calls/

[Syzygys]

By the way, it isn't just in Iowa:

The payments you call “kickbacks” are not just in Iowa, but typical for small and mid-sized rural telcos. I’m a telecom reporter who’s been following this for years. The phone company in Iowa collects seven cents a minute from the incoming long distance carrier to “complete” the call. It’s called Intercarrier Compensation, and moves about $4B a year to rural telcos. Companies from Vermont to Montana collect this booty, a small fraction of which legitimately helps meet rural costs. So Skype, selling Skypeout for four cents, is paying 7 cents or so to the folks in Iowa via the wholesale carrier Skype uses. Skype can live with this because they pay much less, $0.0062 on most calls, and get an even better deal in some competitive cities.

Of the seven cents collected from the LD carrier to Iowa, about 1.5 cents will cover the wholesale rate of calls to 30 or so major countries. Distance really has disappeared: at wholesale, it costs me about the same to call Hong Kong, London, or Chicago. How much this service keeps and how much they share with the small Iowa telco who fronts for them I don’t know, but it’s a straightforward business ripping off the system.

The ICC and USF system is so complicated most reporters are scared to even try to explain it, much less identify where the rip-offs are. In D.C., rural Congressman protect the whole system because they see it as money coming to their districts. Everyone else, including FCC Commissioners I’ve discussed this with, knows how rotten the system is but is unwilling to fight to change things.

[reezebeaderspin]

whoa. thanks all for replying. ive been reading all your posts and i rally learned a lot from it. so the downside of VoIP is power interruption. sucks real bad if you dont have a telephone due to power shortage.

[phonetic]

whoa. thanks all for replying. ive been reading all your posts and i rally learned a lot from it. so the downside of VoIP is power interruption. sucks real bad if you dont have a telephone due to power shortage.

I'm not sure what the situation is in the US, but in the UK you can't phone the emergency services (999) - police, ambulance, fire, coastguard, etc. I don't trust my ISP enough to use my connection for regular calls, let alone relying on it for emergency calls.

[reezebeaderspin]

here in the US, some VoIP providers tell you that e911's not supported by their services. depends really. that's what i was thinking about too. if what would i do in case there's an emergency and a power shortage occurs. scary thought, isnt it?