RSSSkype Makes Outbound Calling Free
By Nate Mook | Published May 15, 2006, 12:49 PM
Skype on Monday turned the Internet telephony industry on its head by introducing free calling to traditional landline and mobile phones in the United States and Canada through its SkypeOut feature. The move comes just days after Microsoft introduced Windows Live Messenger beta with its calling service.
SkypeOut previously charged users per-minute fees for making calls to non-PC users -- a business model being adopted by a number of rivals, including Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft. Now, Skype users can call both fellow Skype users and standard phone numbers without being charged until at least December 31, 2006.
"Yes. It is really very, very free. There’s no prepayment, no minimum use, no subscription, no monthly fee, no nothing," Skype wrote on its Web site. "That is, until December 31, 2006. We’re not quite sure yet what we will do after that. Maybe we extend the free period, maybe not."
International calls will still be charged the standard SkypeOut rates, the company said, which it claims are the lowest in the industry. Skype is hoping the free service will help solidify its position its the market amidst growing competition from the major instant messaging providers and VOIP companies like Vonage.
“Millions of consumers around the world are flocking to Skype every month, and we believe free SkypeOut calling will rapidly accelerate Skype adoption in the US and Canada,” said Henry Gomez, General Manager of Skype North America.
Verrry Good indeed! As a retired person once
employed by a comms company which has since under-
gone a number of metamorphoses, I could not be
more pleased. Wishing Skype all the best!
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|I use www.nyct.net\'s VoIP service but will check out www.jajah.com
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|Skype is a rip-off. I reckon that skype's got some of the cleverest marketing strategists around who know very well how to manipulate consumers with an offer such as this when in fact, it's simply a ploy. I mean, consider other (but less popular) voip providers like voipbuster(US), voipcheap(UK) for instance. Their call qaulity is way better than skype's and above all, they offer free calls to countless destinations. Calls to the USA from voipcheap (for some of us in the UK) has always been free - and that includes cell phones and landlines. Above all, Skype's skype-out call rates are the most expensive Vis-à-vis its rivals. One more thing, Windows Live Messenger video calls are far better than skpe's. So, what on earth actually is the buzz about skype? Marketing? Users, do a little bit of comparing and contrasting and you'll be pleased you did.
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|Skype is a little more expensive than the competitors out there I agree, but I must disagree with the quality compared to VOIPBuster and VOIPCheap as I have tried them.
The quality and stability of the call is nowhere close to what Skype offers.
Video calls are great, but when calling landlines which is probably the biggest Skype gets, video is not a big point.
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|Ok so I am in California and use Verizon with of course IP starting with 7*.*.*.* and great it does not work.
Did anyone in calif using verizon get through this.
I wish it worked for everyone in USA, god dammit skype make it work LOL
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|Um.......I dialed some kinda number via the skype thingy and it seemed to start ringing. I'm in the UK and only got a skype sign in thingy. Need to test this.
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|Strange - it worked great from my computer at work and my home system, but on my sisters computer about 100km away from mine its telling her she has to buy SkypeOut credits. Strange... if anyone figures out how to get around that please do let us all know :) I'm from Canada on a popular ISP (Rogers) so if it is checked via IP it should show up as Canadian...
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|FYI: read this on the following link on the Skype website:
http://share.skype.com/s...es_an.html#comment-8361
Hi,
It's possible that a small percentage of people cannot get this promotion currently. Skype looks at your internet traffic (IP address) to determine if you are in the US/Canada or not when allowing the calls. If we cannot detect this or your IP is outside of the US you will not be able to call for free. We are looking into seeing if there are some specific ISPs that don't provide geographic IPs or mask your IP address which could cause problems.
AndresS
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|Fine, make Skype free. It's great for end users. However this technology will never be good for businesses who run PBX systems and who need a reliable always-on service. Applications like Asterisk PBX for Linux with voip carriers like Veratel Communications www.vera-tel.com (offering outgoing service to Canada at 1.1 cents/minute starting June 1st 2006 or a dedicated phone # for $14.48/US per month ) make it possible for anyone to either start selling VoIP services with little overhead costs either than a server and a reliable broadband connection, or simply be a customer. With a SoftPhone or a SIP Device one can enjoy service that is practically free.
Anyway, power to those who want cheap residential services. Get back to me when Skype starts offering carrier-grade services.
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|But how they know you are in US or Canada? They check IP address???
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|Well, free calling within the US and Canada is fine, but www.jajah.com surely beats Skype on international rates. I call from Austria to the
USA for $0.0214 per minute. That's right, two and one-seventh cents. No headset, no plug-ins,
just an Internet connection and an ordinary phone, landline or cell, next to your monitor.
And similar low rates apply twixt ANY countries
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|Very funny =) -- I paid for SkypeOut service yesterday. Luckily, it was for international calls. I'm quite amazed at this move by Skype -- however, it makes sense to counter Microsoft's entry into the VoIP market.
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|Thanks, Skype! Way cool! It makes the decision to have dropped my landline phone look like a very good call. (No pun intended.)
Message to Voipbuster: And that's what you get for being inept con artists and reneging on your promise to customers of unlimited free calls for an initial flat fee. You can now go ahead and completely write-off the U.S.A. market. You conned your U.S. customers out of their money (including me); now enjoy what you rightly deserve for doing so.
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|Only Works if you are calling from the US or Canada to the same. A Serious NO NO for BetaNews Why didn't you give us all the infor!!!!!
Copied this off the Skpe Web Site
I am uninstalling the program , who needs this thing if it isn;t for free . Much rather use a Net2phone account with 300 minutes and land line number for $10 /month cheaper , bettter and don't need a computer except for set up. Well they will distribute it all over the world for free then maybe .....
How does this work?
If you’re in the US or Canada, you can use SkypeOut to call any landline or mobile number in both the USA and Canada for free.
If you’re in the US or Canada and calling any other country, OR if you’re in any other country and calling landline or mobile numbers in the US or Canada, the standard SkypeOut rates apply.
Of course, Skype-to-Skype calls continue to be globally free, so no changes there.
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|I am in the US. And I am running 2.5.0.72 Beta also. I semi-frequently purchase skypeout credits and I just ran out. That might have something to do with it I guess...
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|Worked for me! THis is big! I'm runnign 2.5.0.72 beta...not sure if you need to be running this version just an FYI.
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|jesserm and fatray - are you in the USA or Canada?
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|It's asking me to buy credit too. What version of skype are you using fatray?
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|Didn't work for me why? I got this message when dialing my work.
You need Skype Credit to call ordinary phone. Click here to get Skype Credit now.
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|got the sane message do you need to be in the states to call the states for free????
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|Rooock on dude! Works on the pocketpc version too.
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|Just tried it. Good quailty and it connects pretty quick.
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|One word says it all. YES!!!!!
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|Most of the Americans are rich and are enjoying the free call service here like my country in Sri Lanka people are victimized by war and still have to pay a lot for their. I appreciate if not just Skype but all VOIP providers can reduce the rates in developing countries having a humanitarian heart.
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|Blame the telephone company in your country. Skype's rates are based on the rates they are charged. Business is not supposed to be humanitarian, it is supposed to be for profit and help the shareholders.
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|bussiness is bussiness and is not for humans. bussiness is for the hearthless and material adepts.
what's wrong with this person asking if his country can be blessed with a free service instead of these kind of "presents" always going to the allready rich ?
and your coldhearted answer says it all. you must be a real well oiled robot. are you programmed to think you are human ?
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|I see nothing on the main Skype website about this, oh right so nothing for the United Kingdom, thats nice lol :)
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