Free phone calls using BB connection

[Gabriel013]

I thought some of you guys may be interested in this.

Taken from MotleyFool financial website.


Get Free Phone Calls Today!


Rumour has it that Google, the firm behind the Internet's most widely used search engine, may soon offer free Web-based telephone calls to its users.

Last week, technology watchers spotted a job ad from Google which made it clear that the firm plans to move into the telephony arena. The Internet-call technology involved already exists, but the number of people using the Internet to make free calls would go through the roof if Google jumps on this bandwagon.

All you need to talk for free over the Internet is a home computer, a headset (or a microphone and speakers) and a broadband connection– plus a simple piece of software. This program converts the analogue signal (what you say into your mike) into "packets" of digital data. These data are transmitted via the Web to the person you're calling and then converted back into an audible message via their speakers. What's more, this data is scrambled while travelling between users, which means that no-one can eavesdrop on your conversations.

Technology analysts predict that Google may integrate VoIP with its hugely popular search engine. This could mean searching for a service with Google and then clicking on a link to call the provider using VoIP.

At the moment, the most popular free VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software comes from London-based Skype, although BT also offers this service. However, BT's promotion of its VoIP package has been low key, because, with almost three-quarters of UK residential voice calls made through BT, it has most to lose from VoIP taking off. By the way, Skype's software allows up to five people to be connected at the same time in a conference call – a bit like a virtual party!

If your friends and family sign up to Skype, you can use your broadband connection to call them for free – anywhere in the world. However, if you call a non-Skype user, there is a charge for using established phone networks, which is just about 1.1p a minute plus VAT to most parts of the world.

Of course, the sound quality of VoIP calls depends on your broadband speed, and connections are only as reliable as the Internet links between users. Also, depending on the speed of your connection, you will experience varying "latency" – tiny delays between messages. However, call quality is improving all the time (Skpye's call quality is usually better than your home phone), so VoIP is poised to become a serious rival to traditional telephony.

VoIP is in its infancy in the UK, but is booming overseas. One in ten Japanese households uses it, and many global companies are using VoIP to make low-cost long-distance calls. No doubt, in time, UK broadband users will be comfortable using their Internet connection for data, phone and video links, using similar P2P (peer-to-peer) software.

Anyway, while you're waiting for Google to wade into this market, why not try Skype? It's free, easy to use, is ad-free – and has already been downloaded almost 54 million times. By the way, Skype rhymes with wipe – and it is set to wipe the floor with the telecoms dinosaurs!



Skype website




Our company has already started using this to hopefully save money when contacting our American and Australian offices.