Cheap phone call providers...
Vonage
Use This Service To Call: Internationally.
Vonage is a sophisticated voip service that routes your phone calls over the internet from your existing landline phone. With the Vonage phone adapter and your high-speed internet you can have several phones connected to the Vonage system to make internet calls throughout your home. You can order the phone adapter online, or buy from a retailer.
Vonage claim to have very good call quality, and with Vonage there is no need to have a computer to make internet calls, you just need a high-speed internet connection, and the Vonage Phone adapter will do the rest.
You can use a fax machine with their system, you can transfer your existing phone number, and you can have more than one Vonage line.
Vonage Calling Plans
Vonage phone plans are available to suit domestic or worldwide calling. Their website is split into three main areas: US, Canada and UK, and each one of these areas on the website give different calling plans.
Vonage US
For US residents current options are Vonage Pro, Vonage World, Basic 500 Minutes and Vonage Lite. You pay a monthly subscription, which varies for each plan.
For example for $34.99 per month with Vonage Pro (the most expensive option) you get unlimited local and long distance calls in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico; you get free unlimited calls to five countries in Europe; you get services such as: Caller ID, Call Waiting, Anonymous Call Block, 3-way Calling, etc; you get unlimited 411 directory assistance; unlimited readable voicemail, and there’s no annual contract or any sort of commitment required.
Vonage Lite (the cheapest option) currently costs $9.99 and includes 200 minutes per month to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico (5c per minute if you go over your 200 minutes), and low cost rates to other countries. You also get all the other services such as Caller ID. The only things you don’t get with the Lite version is the directory assistance and voicemail.
At the moment (January 2011) Vonage are giving their phone adapter for free if you sign up online.
Vonage Canada
For Canada Vonage there are two plans: Basic 500 and Vonage World Canada. The Basic plan includes 500 minutes of local and long distance calls to landlines and mobiles in Canada, the US and Puerto Rico.
Vonage World Canada includes the same as Basic 500 but with 60+ other countries included.
Vonage UK
There are currently seven plans available to UK residents. They include different countries with free calls and cost different prices, so you can choose a plan that suits the countries you call most.
The cheapest entry level plan is currently £5.99 per month and gives unlimited calls to UK landlines with cheap rates for international calls. You can call Vonage to Vonage unlimited and for free, and there’s a 30 day money back guarantee if you don’t like the service.
In the UK you also get a host of inclusive features such as emergency service, call waiting, voicemail, caller display, 1471, 3-way calling, and many more. There is also the option to add additional services at an extra cost, such as a fax line, virtual number or additional Vonage line.
Vonage Spain and Portugal
This is a good service for UK expats living in Spain or Portugal. You can have a UK phone number with Vonage and make unlimited calls within Spain and Portugal and unlimited calls to the UK. Vonage will deliver your phone adapter to your address in Spain or Portugal, and you can access customer services in English, and the plan includes an international virtual number too.
Choose any of the UK calling plans available.
Small Business Calling Plans
Vonage also focus on offering cheap voip calling services for small businesses, this is most apparent on the US section of their website. Again you pay a monthly fee and either have several countries included to call for free, or you have a certain amount of free minutes every month.
Vonage Mobile App
Vonage have a mobile phone app which is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android OS. It works the same way as most mobile apps and lets you make cheap voip calls directly from your mobile phone.
However, Vonage have an option which lets you call any of your Facebook contacts for free wherever they are in the world. You can only call a Facebook contact if they too have the Vonage mobile app. The system works on wi-fi and 3G networks. Therefore, if you ask all your Facebook friends to download the Vonage app too, then you may never need to pay for phone calls to each other again.
You won’t pay roaming charges if overseas (even using 3G), but remember that these calls are data transfer rather than mobile phone calls, so you need to check what your data charges are with your mobile service provider. If you have unlimited data transfer with your contract then you won’t pay anything, but otherwise you will incur charges. There are not data transfer charges if you’re in a free wi-fi zone.
You can receive calls even when the app isn’t open - it will still notify you of the incoming call. Download from the iTunes store or Android market.
Registration required? Yes, you need to register.
Connection fee? None stated.
Dial from a mobile? Yes, using the Vonage mobile app.
Website: www.vonage.comRelated Entries: Skype
Posted by Georgia, 18 January 2011. Filed under: Landline • Message Apps • Voip • Mobile Voip Services • Worldwide •
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