085 – Internet telephone for travellers
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This week brings in the new year and we’re glad to welcome Sasha Zahn from Yankee in New World as our guest podcaster. Sasha tells us all about internet telephone services (VOIP) for travellers. During her sojourn in Hungary she’s tried all the major players and here outlines the pros and cons of each one.
Skype.com
Upsides:
Lots of different services.
Subscription payment plans are available outside the US.
A Skype In number allows people to call your computer from any normal phone.
Skype Out allows you to call from your computer to any normal phone.
You can forward calls to the landline, in case you miss it, but not recommended if you aren’t staying in your own home/hotel room.
Downsides:
- Call quality can be very spotty – you’ve heard how bad it can be sometimes.
- You need to have a microphone and speakers or buy a headset or Skype phone.
- You are yoked to the computer.
- There’s no web-based interface. You must download the programme for each computer you use.
Free Call.com
Upsides:
- Sound quality is better than Skype.
- Much cheaper to have longer conversations, say if you were calling home.
- Phone2Phone service – Using the program you DL, can type in the landline number of you where you are staying, and the phone # u wish to call, and your landline will ring.
Downsides:
- If you let your 90 free days expire, then standard rates apply, not the 5 cent rate.
- If the other person isn’t there, 5 cents is charged anyway, but it is not a big loss, as getting through to voicemail on a Skype Out phone call is about the same.
- My friend said that sometimes she feels like they charged her for more calls, but I have never had that issue. I think they were trying to call UK mobiles, which can use a lot of credit.
Jajah.com
With Jajah, there is no program to download. Simply go to Jajah.com site, and sign up for an account.
Upsides:
- Two methods of calling: by web interface or on the phone.
Available without downloading a program, in case you are on a shared or public computer
- You can check rates for the country you are dialing from/ to here: http://www.jajah.com/prices/
Downsides:
- Prices tend to be higher than Skype/ Freecall
You must check prices individually; calling to or from different places has different rates.
Rebtel.com
My favorite VOIP service. Like Freecall, can use your regular phone; like JaJah, it’s all web based — there’s no program to download. Rebtel works like JaJah phone – by assigning local numbers to international ones.
Upsides:
- You use credit like with the other programs – and it will charge you by the minute
- You can call your friend with the local number then have them call you back on the number that displays. You can talk for FREE!
- Don’t Hang up, though: just let them hang up and call you back. This trick only works for certain countries.
- Great sound quality.
- One of the cheapest ways to call cell phones.
- Automatically calculates how much it will cost per minute.
Downsides:
- Um…
- No voicemail or extra services.
Conclusion
For anyone with a business, I would recommend Skype. For those who want land lines only and slightly cheaper prices, Free Call. For travelers, JaJah. For expats, and travelers alike, Rebtel.
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Great information Sasha, there are heaps of people who will find this useful including myself, certainly saves time having to look for them yourself.
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pmHappy travelling
Anne
Yes, it’s really useful. Linda and I often struggle with the quality of Skype Out, especially with some of the dodgy internet connections we wrestle with (like our 3g connection here in Australia). I think we’re going to try one of these options next time we call home.
January 3rd, 2009 at 5:09 pmI use Skype for one reason only: I pay as you go with Skype OUT credit and get ALL calls, whether to land line or Cell phone, for 2cents a minute. Every other program I looked at charged more for cell connections. I am accustomed to dropped calls or my sound going off suddenly, and always call right back. It’s the best deal because their subscriptions are only about land lines–cells will still be more. I make phone dates with my fellow Skype users so it is easy. I don’t need it for business, but it has actually been very helpful. I am at last free of AT&T and their nasty out-sourced bill collectors.
December 24th, 2009 at 3:57 pm