Very cheap. I've posted before about my VOIP phone service which gives me unlimited calls in North America and Western Europe for $21.95 a month and three cents a minute to Australia.
Well Lingo has just added New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and yes, Australia to the list of countries covered by the free unlimited calls! That's right, I can call my family on the other side of the world every single day and it doesn't cost a single cent extra (but Mum, that doesn't mean that I'm actually going to call you every day, OK?)
As well as my Lingo service which has an adapter which allows me to plug in a normal phone handset, I also use Skype on my laptop which has the advantage that I can take it with me on the road. For $4 a month Skype also provides me with a virtual phone number in Canberra, Australia which allows my client and colleagues there to call a local number to contact me wherever in the world I am.
To give you an idea how clueless the traditional telcos are, Qwest (the incumbent carrier in Colorado) is now offering a VOIP service in an attempt to compete with the likes of Lingo before they completely lose all their business. Not only is the monthly rate higher, but for that you pay five cents a minute for calls within the US and nine cents a minute to Australia. Doesn't really compete with free does it?
1 comment:
Interesting…Worth mentioning for those not so keen in new technologies that "10-10" long distance services are also a very popular an easy alternative to enjoy cheap long distance calls. How it works? You simply dial the "10-10" plan's 7-digit access code, and then the area code and number you wish to call - and receive the discounted rates offered by the "10-10" company. This is an easy way to take advantage of lower rates - without having to sign-up, internet or switching your long distance company. The Internet is a great resource for finding the rates and numbers of "10-10" companies in your area.
For example, you can now call Australia, Canada and most European countries for only 1¢ per minute by simply calling 1010228 before each call (e.g. 1010228 + 011 + country code + number you wish to call). http://www.1010228.com is one of the leading discount "10-10" numbers in the US for interstate and international calls.
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