Similar to what
Dan wrote about a few days ago, I too am a fan of not overpaying for traditional landline
telephone needs. Many of us have heard of
Vonage (who can forget those goofy commercials) and other phone services that use the speed built into that broadband Internet connection instead of paying $30 or $40 a month for a dedicated landline telephone. After all, you're paying for an unlimited amount of data use with that broadband connection (in most cases). Why not use it to its full capability?
If you're in need of a single home telephone number and want the absolute lowest price for the capability of incoming phone calls (to a personal phone number, of course) and unlimited U.S. phone calls,
Skype is by far the best value running. Get a local '
SkypeIn' telephone number for $60/year and an unlimited amount of outgoing '
SkypeOut' calls to any U.S. number at any time for $30/year. Add those and you'll get a yearly cost of $90 for unlimited incoming and outgoing calls for and to all other numbers based in the U.S.
Dan mentioned wireless handset alternatives for use with Skype, which give the most home-roaming flexibility. I'll go one further -- I found a U.S. Robotics "Internet Mini Phone" at a local Wal-Mart a few days ago for under $20. Once plugged into one of the many PCs under my domain, Skype began using that new handset (really, just a microphone and speaker) as the device to use instead of the PC headset I normally use. The sound quality is excellent and I leave Skype running on this rarely-used PC all the time. therefore, I get all incoming calls easily and can make an outgoing call anytime I want -- again, very easily.
So, let's break the bare-bones math here: $60 for incoming, $30 for outgoing and $20 for a physical handset (tethered to your PC using an included USB cable). That' $110 per year, or just at $9.16 per month for what would cost you $24.99 with Vonage (along with buying other hardware) or at least $25 a month just for dial tone from a telephone or cable company. Saving literally hundreds of dollars a year is a good thing, right?
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Judi Roaman: We Talk Endlessly About the Next President,…
Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
"Get a local 'SkypeIn' telephone number for $60/year and an unlimited amount of outgoing 'SkypeOut' calls to any U.S. number at any time for $30/month. Add those and you'll get a yearly cost of $90...."
ReplyIf the incoming cost is $60 a year and outgoing is $30 a month, then the annual cost is actually $420.
Excuse me the last time I looked $30 a month would total $360 plus $60 would be $420 a year not $90.
Reply"Within the US and Canada, Skype Unlimited provides a 12 months of unlimited nationwide calling for just $29.95."
ReplyHe made a little mistake. It's 30$ for 12 month unlimited calls. A small jump to skype's website (www.skype.com) would have shown you that. And also Skype becomes very valuable if you have to call outside US and Canada. International calls rate are very cheap.
Or you could just continue to use your mobile phone for your domestic incoming and outgoing calls which are part of your monthly plan and save the $120 dollars a year.
ReplyI have a Skype-In number and it expires in August but found that everyone calls on the cell phone anyway so I will let that one be freed up for someone else. I can still use Skype for international calls which I will continue to do so.
Bill and Tedd...
ReplyWhen I read the article, I saw it printed as $30/year. How did you guys see $30/month?