VOIP phone service from USA to Finland

[diogenes99 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close diogenes99]

I just purchased a VOIP service (Lingo.com) which lets me call Western Europe for free to non-cell phones. Has anyone in the USA tried to call Finland using their VOIP service, and does anyone in Finland have a landline?

[Hasse Admin Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Hasse]

IP phones

Hi

I assume you're meaning one of the "voice over IP" products that have been hot the last two years.

All these products rely on the idea of long distance calls to the price of a local call at the receiving end.

Many companies use these services to lower their corporate phone bills. Most private persons use Skype or other p-t-p systems. Several of us on this forum can be reached using voice over IP using Skype. (Link to my voice IP (link will work a few days) )

I'm myself using voice-over-IP using iChat (AIM) every day with both my business and private contacts. Several times per week I also have video conference contacts over IP with my friends in California and Washington. Works well and is cheap. Since many of my friends who, for some reasons have Windows boxes, have had problems setting up their audio and video settings in AIM I have been using Skype when discussing with these.

All mostly free-of-charge...

[diogenes99 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close diogenes99]

VOIP

The VOIP system we have is a box that plugs into our home ehternet network and into that we plug the phone line into the wall jack. This allows all phones in the home to use the VOIP. This is a slightly different system than the computer based system you are using, and we can call anyone who has a phone.

[Hasse Admin Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Hasse]

Voice over IP

Yes, I understood that your was a hardware box. The one many of us uses is a software one (Skype) with the same functionality as I can see. We can basically call all traditional phones or as the Skype "marketing page" notes: "Argentina (Buenos Aires), Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Canada (mobiles), Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States (except Alaska and Hawaii), United States (mobiles) and last but not least: Vatican."

The rate to these normal phones is: "...Unless it is specifically mentioned, the SkypeOut Global Rate is only for calling regular landline telephones. Calls to mobile phones are more expensive.

1.7 Euro Cent is approximately the same as 2 US cents or 1,1 pence."

The calls to people that have the Skype IP phone program themselves are of course free.

The only difference as far as I can see is that Skype is free of charge and the VOIP box has an initial cost and doesn't need a computer with speakers and microphone.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it so that the phone call to a traditional phone in Europe through your VOIP box will effectively cost something per minute unless the recipient also has a VOIP box. You cannot override the local costs in the recipient country.

[diogenes99 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close diogenes99]

VOIP box and cost

No, Lingo and others do not charge anything more for Canada and Europe -- but only if the recipient is on a land line or VOIP. There is a 3c per minute surchrge for calls to cells outside the US, I think. I can use my cell phone with lingo, since my cell rings when my home phone rings.

"Western European subscription includes calls from Lingo subscriber to the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Luxembourg, Vatican City, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. Calls to mobile phones, premium and special service numbers in these areas are not included. US includes AK, HI, PR, USVI and calls to cellular phones."

[Hasse Admin Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Hasse]

VOIP

Ok, you pay a subscription per month and either get free "unlimited" call minutes or a number of minutes for a fixed price.

Skype pricing is instead 1,7 cents per minute without fixed costs or connection costs.

Has the Voice IP worked ok over International ordinary phone lines? What is your feel of the international VOIP functionality.

[diogenes99 Registered Find all posts View Profile Close diogenes99]

Decision to go VOIP

Our decision to go VOIP with Lingo was based mainly on the ability for it to REPLACE our landline. Thus, we now pay with VOIP US$20/Month total for our local and long distance phone service with no per call charges. Before, with the landline we paid US$40 for local service and $10-20 for long distance. A net savings of US$40/month. For backup, all three members of our family have a pay as you go cell phone -- that runs $3.33 per month per phone.

I am extremely happy with the call quality to Canada and US long distance. I have made hundreds of call over the last three months that would have cost me at least $200 with our landline. What we like just as much is that all the 8 phones in our house work just like they did before. I have only called Europe once, but with good results. But with genealogy research and a brother in a rock band touring Europe, I expect to make more. I can't say yet that all Eurpoean calls are of the highest quality -- I need to make more calls.

Mike

[Hasse Admin Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Hasse]

Sounds like...

...good economy!

Wouldn't by shares in any oldtype telco businesses anymore...

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

VOIP

I heard an analysis of this on TV last night. I don't remember everything, but they said it may be worthwhile if you make a lot of long-distance calls; it works better with cable than DSL; and it isn't effective for 911 calls.

June