Yep, I just got the official email: "Calls to friends and family on Skype have always been free. Now we've made calls within the US and Canada to all phones totally free till the end of the year. Starting from today it doesn't matter if it's a Skype-to-Skype call or a
call to landline or mobile phone - it's free as long as you're calling from within the US or Canada to US or Canadian phone number." Totally awesome. My brother likes to use
Skype on his
wireless PDA, so I guess I'll be getting a call from him any minute now...
Tags: news, phone, skype, skypeout, voip
Facebook Plunges Again
Tumblr 101: Tips And Tricks To Get Started
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsVlad AkilovMay 15th 2006 7:05PM
Thats pretty cool, but jajah.com does kind of the same thing.
Mark SisleyMay 15th 2006 9:39PM
Seems like everyone is having the same problem: It no worky. I had some credits left from their last promotion, and burned them all thinking it would be free. Now I can’t make calls without it telling me that I need to purchase credits. Hopefully they work out the kinks. If not, it was a neat idea...
OffTopic ManMay 16th 2006 12:36AM
It works. But I wonder, how do they know if the software is installed on a North American based machine and if it goes by IP or something why can't a proxy just mimic a North American IP block?
Claudiu SpulberMay 16th 2006 3:43AM
I've seen a recent post on digg that there are problems with certain Ip's (70.xx-79.xx) that's why it might not work for everybody. I'm also wondering how they manage to keep the service alive, given the traffic they receive these days. Anyway, until they expand this service internationally (which might never happen) I'll keep paying for skypeout.
P.S. I don't think that Vonage or other VOIPs are happy about this at all.
JohnMay 16th 2006 4:22AM
I wonder whether they will allow it to all over world. My aunt lives in Germany. Will be there any discounts to the end of the year... And interesting why they make free calls over Canada and US. Because of what? I'm losing in guesses
AtlantisMay 16th 2006 7:07AM
I agree with you on the workings of Skype toll-free service. This works fine for legitimate callers. But the question is fow will Skype eliminate/control fradulent calls.
PeterMay 16th 2006 9:40AM
This is the beginning of the end of paying for voice communications. Eventually it will all be just data (voice, data, video, whatever) and you'll pay a metered data charge. There's no money to be made in pure voice any more.
SiddMay 16th 2006 4:03PM
#4 Anyway, until they expand this service internationally (which might never happen) I'll keep paying for skypeout
uhhhhh.... skype is the largest international phone company at the moment
errr.....i least i think so
im gonna give this a try and see wht happens