⌛ Overseas Calls

no emergency necessary, i am not a big drinker, have decided early on in my life to focus on more tempting sins, which does not mean that i will not love to invite all those helpful souls on this forum to a SM whenever wherever they chose.

 

You can buy the cards at just about anystore that sells SMART prepaid load cards. Also at many internet cafes, shopping centers, etc. It's everywhere.

 

Get a internet connection in your house

If possible get a broadband internet connection in the place, you have rented and sign up at any provider of IP-telephone services. If your family and friends are mainly in the US, obviously choose one, where you get an american number, and voila, you now have an american landline. Same goes for other nationalities. This means that not only can you call any number in the US at normal local rates, but people in the US can also call you at normal local rates.

The second best solution is to get a computer, if you don`t have one already, and then use Skype or any other PC to PC or PC to phone dialing program.

Just as an example, IconnectHere offers both PC to phone and the more userfriendly and complete VoIP services:

iConnectHere © - Providing Internet Phone for over 10 Years

Best regards, Lars

 

Fundiver,
How much would one pay to get that American Number?
Also, it's local rate from anywhere in the U.S. to/from that number?

 

VoIP telephones

An IP telephone number is simply a landline number, no more or less. How much you pay for a subscription or pr. minut for various kind of calls is different from company to company - just as it is with "normal" landlines.

The only difference is, that an IP telephone uses the internet to connect to a phone central instead of a normal phone line. This means, that a VoIP adapter or IP-phone (a phone with build-in VoIP adapter) can be installed anywhere in the world, where there is a broadband internet connection, and then connect to a phone central anywhere else in the world. And if you moove, you simply bring the VoIP-box or IP-telephone with you and thereby also your telephone number.

You can even bring your telephone number with you when travelling, if only there is a broadband connection in the place, where you are staying temporarely.

Skype also offers "SkypeIn", which will allow people to call you from normal phones, and you can select to have one or more SkypeIn telephone numbers from a number of different countries. There are also Skype phones available, so you don`t need to use a computer when making phone calls. This is the same principle but a different technology than what all the other providers use.

Personally I have left Skype, as I find that there technology is no longer up to the level of other providers, and their prices are also not competitive any more. But I still use Skype sometimes to make free PC to PC calls with other Skype users, and this generally work ok.

Best regards, Lars

 

Cost of equipment

One small addition. If you decide to buy your own equipment, a VoIP box can be had form around 60-70 US$ and up. I use a Linksys adapter and I can recommend this brand. In top of that you will need a regular landline phone i.e. not a cellphone. Alternatively you can buy an IP-telephone, i.e. a telephone with built in adapter. This is somewhat more expensive.

Some companies like IconnectHere will provide you with a VoIP adapter for free, but this is then payed indirectly through the monthly subscribtion fee, i.e. same principle that the operators of cellphone networks use, when they offer "free" phones to new customers.

By the way, please remember to tell your landlord about your plans to have a broadband internet connection installed in the property, before you actually do it. No reason to risk getting into a conflict over that