Free VOIP from Skype

Ouch !! Man this is going to hurt some businesses… (including one I am currently working at)

Skype is offering free VOIP calls to any phone in the US or Canada. I knew this was coming the moment VOIP started… I was even cautious about getting VOIP because I had a feeling something like this was going to turn up and with my luck this would have turned up the month after I bought into a contract.

All you need to do is install Skype (for those of you with Pocket PCs they even have a PDA version) and then dial out to any other US or Canadian number. You need a microphone on your computer though and if you want people to call you using Skype then you need to sign up and pay them for a phone number.

So what is the catch? Right now this is free only till the end of 2006. But that is still 6 months of free talk time. All the telephone companies better watch out. They may be on the verge of getting wiped out.

This used to be a feature in the instant messengers sometime back. But I dont know if it is still free though.

3 comments on “Free VOIP from Skype

  1. Pingback: Technikhil Writing » Blog Archive » VOIP heats up

  2. There you go… Don't even need the microphone for your computer :) You would still need to subscribe to get the Skype number for your phone though.

  3. There is a great little USB box by ActionTec that allows you to hook your existing phone lines into Skype. I use it to power all the phone jacks in my house and am able to dial Skype from a regular phone. You have to unhook your phone carrier from the box outside so you don’t cause interference from the phone company.

    http://www.actiontec.com/products/communications/ipw_usb/index.php

    Linksys has a Skype enabled phone as well.

    http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/skype/linksys-cit200-skype-phone-review.asp

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